When lightening strikes
by Ebonyswanne
Summary: Not related to any series...Ken goes out for his usual mail run, to find himself in an unusual storm,when he gets back to the airfield everything has changed, including the team can he find his way home...sexual suggestions.
1. Katse

Story Warnings; This story does contain f/m sexual scenes, some violence (hints of torture but not graphic.)

The Leader of Galactor stood on the bridge of his supreme being's latest invention and observed the crew as they went about their business of flying the new Storm Mecha.

The Storm Mecha as Leader X had named it was designed to create very powerful artificial storms in Earths atmosphere, extremely powerful and could be controlled and solely concentrated to one area by the Mecha, the lightening had the ability to be controlled and shaped to destroy its targets. It was similar to the Aurora Mecha, but much more powerful.

The Mecha had an invisibility device; the dark grey purple green clouds provided the mecha with more cover to ensure it was completely unseen by it's victims.

Berg Katse thought the weapon was a brilliant plan to defeat the Science Ninja Team with, since he had discovered they had survived the destruction of Crescent Coral base.

His current mecha Captain walked over to report to him, The Captains uniform comprised of a skin tight black Lycra suit and black boots with silver stripes up the sides, the suit was covered in white lightening Zig Zags and a silver mask with purple covered eyes. His silver cape matched the mask; he had the over all look of a Galactor Mecha Captain.

"Lord Katse we are ready to run the test." Captain Sorro saluted his thick British accent making him hard for Katse to understand.

"Yes, yes…" he waved away the Captains formal stance, "Just get on with it…Have you found a pilot to test the full power of the storm on?" Katse finally turned and looked at him.

"Yes my Lord…We have spotted a small plane that has been doing mail deliveries, it may not be Gatchaman, but I think it will serve our purpose for the test…All we now have to do is lure the pilot into the cloud." Captain Sorro indicted to the large view screen that showed the small plane.

"Well let's see how this works…proceed." Katse's pink lips curled into a snicker as he watched the small plane fly into the cloud, the pilot had taken the bait.

The storm began to bring on its full force with the rain and lightening obviously blinding the pilot, the turbulence was throwing the small plane around like it was made of paper.

"This is working well so far, increase the lightening voltage and the static to shut down this fool pilots instruments and engine." Katse's face had broken into an excited grin as he clapped his hands together as the plane lost its power, and looked like it may even break apart, the lightening had wrapped around one wing of the small plane.

Then something very strange happened, a bright white light surrounded the plane as it began to leave the cloud, and it suddenly vanished into thin air.

"What happened?" Katse demanded. "Did it blow up?"

"No my Lord," Captain Sorro responded. "It has just vanished of our radars."

"Well go find it then…I need to know if this weapon is powerful enough to take down the Science Ninja Team."

Katse turned to leave the bridge, his red lined purple cape swirling behind him as he began to depart; he had enough testing for one day.

"Let me know when the Science Ninja Team decide to show up." He let out a laugh at his anticipated victory as he marched to his quarters on board the Storm Mecha.


	2. The storm

Ken leveled the Cessna as he prepared to throw the package out the window, as he flew low over the small island that was only a few hours outside of Utoland.

It was the second last delivery he had for the day, and it brought a satisfied smile to his face that he could bring news of the outside world to these remote islands.

Ken hauled the package out the window to the waiting crowd of people below, he watched as it landed near by, and the crowd ran over to get their mail.

He pulled up the control stick and made a sweep around to the left as he prepared to go to his last stop before he headed for home.

The island that he had his last delivery to was only about half an hour away, and he could see that there where a few islands that had never been lived on as he flew over them.

He wondered if he should land on one and go exploring sometime in the near future. Jun had mentioned it at one point in time, when they were on the way home from the last mission; he could take her and Jinpei with him.

He looked out at the horizon. It had been a clear day, and the weather reports had not predicted any sudden changes, so when he saw the dark purple green coloured clouds up ahead it made him curious, so he kept flying towards them.

Ken realized too late, that he should have turned back to Utoland instead of flying into the dark forbidding clouds.

The clouds were an electrical storm, and the rain that was yet to fall to the Earth was causing him to have zero vision and the plane shook from the turbulence as he tried to fly out of the storm.

The rain beat hard on his windows and he could see lightening streaks that only made his vision worse, he had to get out of there fast he thought as he turned the plane downwards to lose altitude.

Then as he finally managed to almost break free of the purple black clouds, he heard a loud crack of thunder and lightning so close to the plane it almost blinded him as he tried to keep control of the Cessna, but the propeller had stopped, and his instruments were not responding.

"Ohhh _shit!_" He muttered angrily as he hit buttons trying to get a response out of his equipment. As his plane began to plummet towards the Earth in a spiral as it was just leaving the clouds, with the wind and rain from the sudden storm, he held his hand in front of his face and shouted"_ BIRD GO!_

The Cessna began to take on the shape of the G-1, and his instruments began to work again. He felt himself black out for a moment, but regained consciousness just in time to pull up.

"YES, you little beauty…I _knew_ you wouldn't let me down girl!" He said to his beloved plane as he managed to pull up only meters from the tree tops.

He began to fly back home, with much relief that he got out of that one still intact from the intensity of the strange phenomena that the storm was. He would check it out with the ISO weather board when he got back to his shack.

Ken waited until he was away from the storm to transmute back to civilian form.

The flight home after that was uneventful, and when his airfield came into view he felt a sense of relief wash over him as he circle to land, and he was glad to home.

He wondered if he had any food in the shack, or if he would go into the Snack J for some dinner tonight he began to think of his options because the day's flight had left him hungry. But as he began to land he noticed something was very different about the airfield.

The runway was overgrown and looking very shabby, not the way he kept it.

It looked as though a plane had not landed there in years!

Ken jumped out of his plane feeling very confused as he looked towards his shack.

The windows were boarded up and so was the door. He stood looking at it for a moment Did the boys do this as some kind of Joke he wondered, before he began to tear away the boards that were blocking his entrance into his home.

He finally gave up using his hands, and went and got a metal rod from the hanger to take the rest off so he wouldn't get splinters in his hands.

Things didn't improve when he walked inside. He was greeted with cold darkness and the musky smell of a place that hadn't been lived in for sometime.

His natural sense of caution went up as he moved with a swift fluid motion into a fighters stance, he looked around him to spot any intruder who maybe waiting in the wings for him.

It began to dawn on him after a few moments that his shack had the look of being abandoned for years, no one was waiting for him and he began to feel his heart quicken as he wondered what was happening to him.

"This can't be right? I only left here this morning." He muttered feeling confused as he ran his fingers through his unruly hair and looked around at the covered up furniture in the half light that door let in.

He walked into his bedroom and looked around. The boards on the windows let in thin streams of the fading sunlight. It was enough light to see the thick dust that covered everything.

The bed was turned on its side, and in one corner of the room sat an envelope with his name on it. It too was covered in dust and looked to have been in that spot for a long time.

He walked over and crouched down and opened it. This was feeling weirder by the minute, and when he read the letter he felt his blood run cold.

The letter was from Jun;

_Dear Ken,_

_It has been many months since you disappeared from out lives now. Everyone keeps telling me that I have to move on._

_So I figured to sit here and write you a letter will help me do that. I don't know what to say really. I keep coming out here just in case you show up, it's not like you to just vanish on us like that, and Jinpei said it is not good for me to be here…_

_But I still feel that you are alive._

_In the morning we will be boarding up the shack. But I decided to spend the night here, as I often have when I couldn't sleep. When I'm here I feel you are close, I can't explain the feeling that I have, but It's like your still flying back from your last job in my dreams, and I only have them here._

_I never got to tell you how I really felt about you, and now I will never get the chance so I guess it should remain unspoken between us like a closed book._

_I love you Ken, and I miss you please come back to us…_

_Jun._

Ken read the letter again and put it back into the envelope.

He had gone missing???

How was that possible, he had only been gone a few hours… He got caught in the storm but that was all, and it didn't do any real damage to the Cessna.

This all had to be a mistake, or a bad dream and he was wide awake!

So he walked out to the hanger where he kept his vehicles. He first got into his car and found it wouldn't start, Joe was going to have a look at tomorrow, and he laughed at that thought.

With all this weird stuff happening…Ken shook his head and looked over at the motor bike he had done up, a project that he had worked on with Jun for a while.

He walked over and hoped on and turned the ignition key, it started after the second try and he rode into Utoland and pulled up at the Snack J.

This was the next surprise.

"Impossible!" He shouted at the boarded up door and abandoned café, Ken had to know what was going on here. So he broke a window and climbed in being careful not cut himself on the glass.

He crouched in a fighter's stance as he looked around at the dusty interior of the Snack J. It looked as though no one had been there for quite sometime.

Ken began to move towards the stairs, they creaked as he walked up them into the loft. Jun and Jinpei had moved out, but where to?

He wondered as he looked around at the empty rooms. There was no sign as to where they were living now.

He sat down in Jun's empty bedroom a place he often wanted to be invited into but now had no traces of it's former occupant, and he began to wonder what was happening to everyone, how things could change suddenly in a day.

Was he stuck in some kind of parallel universe, and now he had to find his way back?

It was a possible theory, and not altogether something that was impossible considering everything that they had seen so far in the war against Galactor and Berg Katse.

Well he needed answers and he wanted them now, so he needed to find Joe, he would fill him on what was happening here, and were Jun and Jinpei had moved to.

Maybe it had to do with their covers, he thought as he left the Snack J and got on his bike and started the engine, and he stopped the motor again suddenly as he spotted a poster on a wall near by.

He almost passed out in shock as the blood drained from his face as he looked at the girl in the picture, she looked exactly like Jun with less clothing on than her birdstyle, she was wrapped around a pole in provocative move smiling and winking at him.

"_What_ the…_hell_." He swore mainly to himself as he read the bottom of the poster.

"Madame Honeydew, Come and see her at the "_Go Girls"_ pole dancing strip club. The girl had to be someone who just looked like Jun; his Jun was too smart to do something like that.

He had to find Joe, he would be able to help him and give him some answers.

So Ken got on his bike and began to ride out to the race tracks outside of Utoland.


	3. Madame Honeydew

Chapter 3- Madame Honeydew

Ken pulled up to where Joe had parked his trailer only one day before, but it was no longer there and from the ground around it, it had not been there for some time.

It was only yesterday that he had been there he remembered they had a few beers together and joked about what Katse's next move would be and his reaction to them showing up at his base dinner.

They also talked about Jun, and what had happened only days before at the Snack J, he wondered again about what had happened that Snack J was closed for good.

He knew Jun was interested in him as more than a friend, he told Joe he did have deep feelings for her he and he told him his attraction ran much deeper than friendship, and he had realized it when they were stranded in the Crescent Coral base as it was destroyed.

But he could not act on them just yet, and hoped he wasn't to stand offish with her, when he was there that night and hardly talked to her.

Joe called him an idiot, but that was Joe for you straight to the point.

He looked around the out skirts of the track more just in case Joe had decided to move the trailer, so he rode around the entire area looking for a sign of Joe, but he couldn't find anything.

It was odd because Joe always had his trailer around the track, and he never moved it much at all, he can only remember one he parked it at the air strip for a week, but that was it. He stopped riding for a minute and checked to fuel gauge, he still had a full tank, and Jun really knew her motor bike engines, and how to get the most out of them he thought.

But then the Snack J was closed and dusty, and things had suddenly changed so he decided to try and contact the team with his wrist band.

He put it to his lips and spoke into his communicator"G-2, this is G-1" He waited with no response, so he repeated "G-2, this is G-1… G-3 anyone… report immediately!" He ordered but he still did not receive a response from any of the team, they could be under radio silence on a mission, he thought as the strangeness of the day hit him again.

Ken licked his now dry lips and looked around him. He needed to make contact with someone to find out what was happening.

He though about Dr. Nambu, but he was not sure if they had set up a new base, the Crescent Coral had only been destroyed a few weeks before. Well according his memories anyway and he was not sure as to how long he had been "missing" for.

Ryu might be still at his Mariner, Ken thought. Maybe he should try and see if the others are there as well.

It was dark now, and Ken was no closer to finding out why he was missing for so long after a simple flight delivering mail, and why the team had seemed to disappear as well.

He hoped he would find some answers at Ryu's place. So he revved up the bike and headed towards the coast and the Water side house that Ryu had made his home before the start of the war almost a year ago.

He arrived at the Mariner about half an hour later to find that no one was home. So he looked through a window to see if it was abandoned as well. From what he could see the place still looked lived in which was a good sign.

So he decided to wait and see if anyone turned up. He sat there for what seemed like hours but no one showed and it was getting later.

Then he remembered the poster, they one that looked like Jun in it. The place was called "_Go Girls_." What kind of sleazy joint was that he thought.

Maybe the girl in picture wasn't Jun, but he decided he had better do something other than sit around waiting for the possibility of Ryu showing up, he could always come back here later.

The trip into Utoland city was uneventful but Ken at least tried to unwind a bit, he knew why Jun loves to ride for hours out in the open.

Time to think and relax, he found several thousand feet of the ground did the same thing for him. His appetite returned from earlier and he knew he needed some food to keep his energy levels up.

He looked at the line up of people outside the club as he rode past, it looked to be a popular spot.

He spotted a hot dog stand about a block up from the club and pulled up there and parked.

He got of the bike a walked over to the stand and bought a hot dog with tomato sauce and mustard with some of the small change he had in his pocket.

Despite the events of the day, the hot dog tasted good and at least filled some of the empty space in his belly.

"Are you goin' ta see Madame Honeydew?" The African man looking man asked him in a thick mixed accent that Ken couldn't quite identify.

"Is she good?" Ken asked trying to be casual as he took a bit from his hot dog and looked back at the man.

"She's only been there for two months, and the comments I hear about her would make a prostitute blush. She's one _fine_ woman," the man gave a dreamy smile as he looked at Ken.

Ken smiled back. "Well maybe I outta go check her out." He said and started to move away from him.

"They won't let you in, in a T-shirt, change in management." The man informed him.

Ken nodded and walked away, he would have to remedy that. He thought as he walked towards the club.

He smiled to himself as he looked at the long queue of males waiting to get into the club he didn't need to pay, all he had to do was find a window and climb in and he could avoid the bouncers, and he needed a jacket at least so he would not be kicked out.

So he walked around the back of the building and looked for an open window.

He spotted a back entrance door instead and he stole into the shadows to see if there was a bouncer guarding it, there was no one in sight so he grabbed the black leather jacket with FERRARI printed across the back of it in red that was on a peg inside the door, and casually walked in like he owned the place.

The club was dark with the usual black walls of a night club, there was small table with subdued lit lamps, and a stage that had a catwalk that came through the middle of the tables.

There were poles for the dancers on the stage as well as one at the end of the catwalk. The club had a sleazy feel to it, and the men were getting drunk while they waited for the show to start.

He realized from comments by men close to him that a few acts had already been on, so he made his way to the back of the club and tried to look as in conspicuous as possible.

The next act came on and the dancer could not be mistaken as anyone else. The upbeat music started and she began to dance.

_Where's all mah soul sistas,  
Lemme hear ya'll flow sistas,_

JUN! His jaw dropped as she went into her routine.

_He met Marmalade down IN old Moulin Rouge  
Struttin' her stuff on the street  
She said, "Hello, hey Jo, you wanna give it a go?" Oh! uh huh,_

She was wearing a white leather Jacket with very long white boots, his hair was down around her shoulders and she looked older. More like twenty, he wondered what happened to the sweet innocent girl he once knew.

_Giuchie, Giuchie, ya ya dada (Hey hey hey)  
Giuchie, Giuchie, ya ya here (here)  
Mocha Chocalata ya ya (oh yea)  
Creole lady Marmalade,_

He could only watch as she wrapped herself around the pole and made some very seductive moves that made his insides go to jelly.

_Voulez vous coucher avec moi ce soir  
Voulez vous coucher avec moi,_

They she undid the white Jacket and teased the men in the front row as she slowly undid the zipper to reveal a red satin bra; the moves were slow and deliberate.

_He sat in her boudoir while she freshened up  
Boy drank all that Magnolia wine  
On her black satin sheets is where he started to freak yeah,_

Ken knew she had a great body but this was a woman he didn't want other men looking at, let alone some of the suggestions that they were making about her.

_He come through with the money and the garter belts  
I let him know we bout that cake straight up the gate uh  
We independent women, some mistake us for whores  
I'm sayin', why spend mine when I can spend yours  
_

She did a move around the pole that enabled her to take off the Jacket as she swirled around leaving on only the G-String and the red bra and long white boots.

_Disagree? Well that's you and I'm sorry  
Imma keep playing these cats out like Atari  
Wear high heel shoes get love from the dudes  
4 bad ass chicks from the Moulin Rouge,  
_

She slid down the pole and winked into the audience. That wink always sent wonderful shivers down his spine, but she was sharing it with a room full of men who were shouting leering comments and full of testosterone.

_Hey sistas, soul sistas, betta get that dough sistas  
We drink wine with diamonds in the glass  
By the case the meaning of expensive taste,  
_

He was scandalized in a way he never thought he could be what happened to her to make her resort to this? He wondered as he made his way to the front of the stage.

_If you wanna Giuchie, Giuchie, ya ya,  
Mocha Chocalate-a what?  
Creole Lady Marmalade,  
One more time C'mon now,  
_

He tried to push through the crowd of drunken men and nearly punched one that who made a comment about her spending a night with him.

_Marmalade... Lady Marmalade... Marmalade...  
_

He finally made it to the front as the stage lights flashed as she hooked her left leg around the pole and leaned back with her eyes closed and took off the sexy red satin bra right in front of him, only inches from his face.

_Hey Hey Hey!  
Touch of her skin feeling silky smooth,  
Colour of cafe au lait alright,  
Made the savage beast inside roar until he cried,  
More-more-more,  
_

By this time Ken was pushed up against the stage as he looked at her well formed breasts that were so close to him. She opened her green eyes as she went to pull herself back up again and they made direct eye contact.

If she didn't have such a tight grip with her leg she would have fallen from the pole and injured herself from the expression on her face as she looked at him.

_Creole Lady Marmalade Yes-ah..._

Ken's feet were rooted to the spot, as he stared at her almost naked body, his heart was racing and his jeans began to tighten, he was paralyzed by the beauty of her soft curves and perfect white skin. She kept her eyes on him as she pulled herself up and her hair fell around her face giving her a very erotic look.

Then he felt a rough hand on his jacket and he was suddenly yanked off his feet.

"That's _MY_ jacket _asshole_." The voice sounded very familiar but he could not see his face as he was dragged out a side door and thrown into the dark alleyway.

Ken worked hard to recover his balance as he looked at Joe standing in front of him and Ryu came out the door behind him.

Joe's eyes went wide as he looked at Ken, and then they narrowed his jaw clenched and he punched him sending him sprawling to the ground.

"_Imposter_!" Joe hissed at him and went to make another swing at him but his hand was caught by Ryu's. "Wait Joe… He _looks_ like Ken; the imposter was in birdstyle remember! But his face was not Ken's." Joe looked back at him with a wild look still in his eyes.

Ken drew his hand across his jaw and identified the spot where Joe had left his mark, and he clenched his own jaw as he quickly rammed his fist into Joe's stomach and then followed through with a hard punch across his jaw sending the Condor flying against the wall.

Ken waited for him to recover, as he looked at his second in command.

Joe sat back against the wall still trying to stand up straight, and a small smile came to his face." I know that punch… it's you Ken...I just for a moment…"He said, leaving what he was about to say unsaid. Ken Shook his head and he walked over and stood in front of Joe, who embraced his long lost brother.

Ryu joined him, and he could see unshed tears in both of their eyes.

"Of all places, you turn up here Ken" Joe muttered.

"So what are you guys doing here...? And Jun a stripper? I think you all have a lot of explaining to do." Ken was still trying to get his head around that Jun had just lost almost all of her clothes right in his face.

Ryu answered his question. "We are bouncers and Jun…well…"

"Later..."Joe looked at him as Jun burst through the side door, and went running over to Ken.

"Ken!" she reached out and touched his face as tears slide down her cheeks." Is it really you?"

He looked at her and gave her a small smile." It's me Jun, I went to the Snack J but…"

Her bra was back on, but the white leather ¾ jackets was still open as she threw herself into his arms sobbing wet tears onto his shoulder." I know, it's closed for good Ken, we…we'll talk later…"

"Ken" she breathed in his ear as she held him close.

He was very aware that her part naked body was pressed against his as she shuddered; he could smell a mixture of Jasmine and smoke in her hair. He looked over her shoulder at Joe who had a pained expression cross his hardened features.

"We all need to talk about this." Ken quietly said, as Jun continued to cry on his shoulder.

Joe nodded, and looked at Ryu who spoke." We have a new home now. Jun…"

Ken gently pulled Jun away from him as she nodded at Ryu's mention of her name. She realized her jacket was still undone and hurried to zip it up as she blushed and gave him a shy look through her dark lashes.

"My bike is about a block from here how about I meet you there. Call Jinpei and tell him to get there ASAP." He turned to walk to his bike, when Jun started to follow him.

Joe grabbed her arm for a moment, and Ken saw her shake her head and muttered something to him, and then she ran to catch up with him.

"I'm riding with you." She said simply as they walked side by side. Silence lapsed between them as they walked, and Ken could see her glancing at him every now and then.

Before he got onto the bike he looked at her, she had matured into an amazing woman. He did not know how long he was gone for; it must be more than a few months he thought as he took in her more mature face.

"I know what your thinking Ken, and I have not sold myself, we…"she stopped as he got on the bike, and looked at her over his shoulder, she straddled the seat behind him and put her arms around his waist.

"Continue, and what made you think that?" was all he said, he needed to hear this.

"Your eyes Ken… They told me," she replied softly. "We are on a mission, I sure we can go into detail at our new location Ken. Joe wants to tell you most of it though…There is so much to tell you, four years is a long time..."

This made him draw a deep breath as he rode away from the curb. "Four years! For me, I left this morning to my mail run, and I come back to my shack that is boarded up and the Snack J closed…this is not possible!"

"Ken…I…I …I don't know what to say to you… You just disappeared one day. We looked for you but found nothing, not even your Cessna."

He could feel her warm body against him, and he tried not to think about all she was wearing under that coat was a red bra and G-string. He needed to concentrate on the road.

"Then maybe Dr. Nambu could explain what happened then. We should go and see him tonight…"

She said nothing and he felt her head drop onto the back of his neck, and after that they rode in silence in the direction of Ryu's house, she has said another location and with the way the day had been shaping very little surprised him. As they reached the turn off she gave him new directions so he continued straight ahead.

He knew he would get the rest of the story there, and why she was holding back on talking to him. He just hoped she would tell him everything, and Joe and Ryu were not far behind them.

Something felt really wrong and out of place, and not just that he had disappeared for four years…


	4. The Resistance

Ken and Jun rode towards the coast line before she indicated that they turn down a dirt track that led to an old abandoned shack.

Jun indicted that he park the motor bike in the shed close by, and they walked into the shack, it was pitch black but she seemed to know where she was going as she flicked a hidden switch and the floor opened up in the corner of the room.

So this is the new base. He thought.

He hesitated, and in the shaft of light that came from the stairway she looked at him and frowned.

"What is this place Jun?" he asked looking at her, in the light she looked exhausted and very sad, her green eyes lacked their usual sparkle.

"In this, you have to _trust_ me Ken." She said as she started to walk down the metal stair case. He sighed as he followed her and curiosity took over, he had better start getting some answers soon.

The metal staircase was longer than he thought, and when he reached the bottom he was surprise to see it open out into a large room.

There was furniture that he recognized from the apartment at the Snack J.

His sharp eyes took in the immediate surroundings, computer terminals were set up in one corner, and he could see a security camera with view screens.

There was a small kitchen towards the other back corner, and a corridor that led to other rooms further down a hall way.

He wondered how big this place really was. Ken stood at the bottom of the staircase observing the room when he spoke to her again.

"Where are Joe and Ryu?" was all he could think of to say, as he looked at the stranger that was Jun. She was not acting her normal self at all, and she was doing something in kitchen.

"They have to finish their shift at the club, it would look suspicious if they just up and left in the middle of it." She got out some milk and was making Hot Chocolates he noticed, and he felt a small warm smile come to his face, some things never change. She always liked to sit down and talk over a Hot Chocolate.

He walked over and stood in the kitchen entrance and watched her. "Have you contacted Jinpei and Dr. Nambu yet or is Joe taking care of that?"

She flinched at the question, and he felt a sudden guilt for asking it. He knew full well that she didn't have time to call them when he was with her the whole time, he was fishing for information, since she was not talking hardly at all too him.

"Here's you Hot Chocolate, would like to sit on the couch?" She forced a smile and he realized that it was more a statement than a question, but he followed her and they sat down together on the couch.

"This is good Jun, you always make a great Hot Chocolate" he smiled at her over the rim of the cup as he took a sip trying to lift her out of her current mood.

She gave him a weak smile, and they drank in silence for a few moments.

"Since when did schedules apply to the Science Ninja Team Jun, we always left when duty called us… Is that why Jinpei isn't here yet? What is his new cover?" His questions just kept coming.

She stopped drinking and her hands trembled as he took her cup out of her hands and put it down on the small table in front of them." That's something we need to talk about Ken," her voice cracked a little as she spoke, and she was staring into space as she picked up her cup again.

Ken had a dreadful feeling come over him as he watched Jun. "What's happened to him Jun." He couldn't keep the heavy emotion out of his voice as he spoke to her, and he moved closer to her.

Jun bit her bottom lip, and she closed her eyes," It happened about 3 years ago…It's a long story Ken… and Joe will have to fill you in on some of it, Galactor become too strong for us… too fast."

He stared at her as she slowly opened her eyes and looked at him." It was a terrible time Ken, Sosai X had left the planet just after you and Katse disappeared, he came back in within months though. With more creatures from his own planet before it was destroyed. He had put a new leader in charge, His name is Count Egobossler, he may not have been as creative as Berg Katse but he had better timing, and he is more cunning…"

She sighed and looked away from him." We had almost six months of peace; we thought that Galactor had collapsed from within. Joe was almost recovered from his surgery when we were called back into action again, before you ask me the surgery he had, that I think Joe should fill you in on it."

Now he had more questions. "So this Sosai X was the one running Galactor? Tell me more about Count Egobossler. And what happened to Berg Katse?" So many questions he needed answers too.

He got up from the couch and walked over to the security screens. They covered a good area around the hideout he noticed. Ken looked back at Jun as she responded to his question.

"He was a Leader that really managed to unite Galactor; with very different tactics…He had time to plan and infiltrated the ISO and the UN. We found out about Sosai X through a Galactor double agent that we captured, Joe… ahh talked to him and we found out that he apparently had planned to destroy the Earth if we come anywhere near Galactor Headquarters. We came close to finding headquarters, but we lost the God Phoenix in one of the battles…Then the imposter lured Jinpei and Dr.Nambu away from ISO headquarters. This all happened over two years…"

Joe had called him an imposter when he first saw him."Jun, who was this imposter?" He asked quietly as he came and sat down next to her again.

"A Cyborg and well made to your body shape, he was in your birdstyles and Jinpei must have thought you had come back. We don't know the full story still about how they were both fooled by the Cyborg." She was getting emotional by now.

"Jinpei was at the Mansion that day getting tuition…But we witnessed their death. Count Egobossler made sure we would see it. He has such an evil laugh."

She started to cry as she remembered it." On _public_ television they exposed Jinpei's identity and then…" She stopped and put her hand over her mouth, and took a deep breath; Ken took her into his arms.

"You don't have to continue…" He said softy in her hair, it smelled like a mixture of old cigars and Lavender he held her close to him, as she buried her face in his shoulder as she spoke.

" They _shot_ him… he looked like he had been tortured, but he declared boldly that they would _never_ defeat the mighty Swallow and the Science Ninja Team…and then they killed Dr.Nambu.They left their bodies for us in an abandoned warehouse…Our contacts went in to retrieve them so that we would not fall into Galactor's trap…We had to continue fighting Galactor to revenge their deaths."

She cried into his shoulder until she was exhausted, he realized how exhausted they both were as she curled up next to him, his eyes had begun to feel like lead weights.

He would hear the rest from Joe and Ryu, and he felt hot tears for Jinpei and Dr.Nambu run down his cheeks as he comforted Jun, her wounds were still so fresh.

He began to feel a sudden wave of sleep take over him, as her crying subsided and she began to breathe more steadily.

Her eyes were closed, and he could tell she was falling asleep as she whispered in a voice full of despair,"Jinpei…I _miss_ him Ken, he missed you _so_ much…he used to say; Aniki _will_ come back Onechan you'll see..." and sleep finally found him with a heavy heart, as he saw his little brothers smiling face flash before his eyes, maybe he would wake up from this and it would all be just a bad dream were his last thoughts before he drifted into a dreamless heavy sleep…

When Ken began to wake up from the deep sleep he found that he could not move his arms, so he lay there for a moment with his eyes closed listening to the sounds around him, he could hear Joe and Jun talking.

"We have to be sure it's him Jun, I know that you want it to be him, but what if they have developed another imposter… For all we know, they could have found a picture of him from around the time he went missing…look at him, he hasn't aged a bit!" Joe said as his voice moved closer to him.

"I _know_ what your saying Joe."Jun had a desperate tone to her voice. "But why did we bring him here then? I did as you asked and gave him the sedative, but...but I just don't feel right about doing it that's all."

"We'll know very soon after Dr.Pandora has finished running the tests…I know it was risky bringing him here, but what _else_ were we suppose to do? I hope he is the _real _Ken."

Ken decided it was time to make his presence know to them. "What do want me to do to prove to you it's me? "He opened his eyes and looked at them, that's when he noticed he was tied down to a metal table.

"Is this way to treat me after not seeing me for four years?" He spotted Ryu in the corner watching them."Ryu, undo these bonds _now,_ Joe you have a lot of explaining to do, and right now I want to _kick you arse_ so hard you won't walk for a week…and Jun…"His tone was filled with anger and frustration with his team mates, his eyes made contact with her and they told her what he thought about being drugged as she looked away in shame.

A petite young woman walked into the room and looked at them all, she was very pretty with short curly Auburn hair and blue eyes.

She looked at Joe and Jun and spoke to them directly before looking at Ken. "You may not believe this, but it is Ken, the DNA is a perfect match. He hasn't aged at all, why, I don't know."

"Now do you believe me? I'm _telling you_ I went on my normal mail run and when I got back _everything_ had changed." He tried to lift his arms again." How long was I out for Jun?" He shot her a look that made her flinch.

"Eight hours… I hoped we have the results back before you woke up." She looked at the floor in shame again as Ryu came over and started to undo the metal arm locks.

Ken looked at Jun again, and then at Joe as Ryu finished unlocking the cuffs his legs; Ryu took a hold of his arm to help him get his balance as he hopped off the table.

He took a quick look around and noticed he was in a lab as he addressed Jun. "You took a big risk Jun in bring me back here alone if I _was_ an imposter, If I was I could have killed you _before _you could have drugged me… Did you think of that Joe?" He looked back at his second and waited for his answer, Joe didn't seem to have one for him.

"So, is this still the same place that you took me to earlier?" He tried to put some restraint in his voice even though he still wanted to punch Joe in the face for ordering Jun to drug him, and bring back to their hideout if the suspected that he could be Galactor agent.

Ken noticed the band aid on his arm were they had taken a blood sample from him, they were not in uniform either he noticed, but dressed in casual blue jeans and T-shirts without their wrist bands on, those things he had noticed the night before.

Joe answered him. "Yes this is the lab, it's quite a big underground base, it was built by the ISO over 20 years ago, but they never needed to use it… So it was kept top secret. Dr.Nambu told us one day about it not long before he died… I'm not sure why he did, he just one day he called us into his office and showed us the blue prints for it. He said that no one knew about it…"

"So, what has happened to the ISO now, and the government?" Ken had questions piling up in his mind.

Ryu yawned and looked at them all. "Lets go and get comfortable guys, looks like he will give us the third degree, and I'm hungry." Ken followed Ryu out into the corridor with Jun, Joe and Dr.Pandora falling in behind him.

They walked up to an elevator and got in, this place is huge, ken thought.

They arrived back into the living area again, a little girl who looked to be no older than six or seven was playing with her dolls, she looked up at them and smiled and then went back to playing.

"That's my daughter, we call her Sammie." Dr. Pandora said with love and pride in her voice. At the mention of her name Sammie looked up, she was pretty like her mother with blonde hair and blue eyes.

"Mamma promised to take me on a cruise ship, but took another Job instead, so dollies and I are on a cruise." The little girl stated with a pout as she looked at her dolls that were lined up.

Jun walked over and sat down next to her and played along,"Where are you traveling to Sammie?"

"Well," the little girl declared. "We are on the _Queen Margaret,_ and we are going on a world trip, the next stop is Africa to see the lions!"

"Ohhh, Can _I _come too Sammie?" Jun asked her with excitement in her voice as she clapped her hands together.

"Of _course_ you can Jun… Joe can _come_ as well, and Ryu. I _suppose_ you can invite him too." She was pointing at Ken. Jun smiled and got up and walked back to the rest of the team.

Pandora whispered to Jun."But the _Queen Margaret_ was sunk about two years ago by Galactor, lucky I had to cancel the holiday because of my new commitments to the ISO." She said as she looked at Joe, and they exchanged a knowing smile; explain it to a child that has her heart set on going on a holiday. They had told her that the ship sank, but she always still went cruising on the ship in her imagination.

Ryu had prepared for everyone a meal, and they all sat down at the large table. They ate the pasta dish in silence for a while, and then Ken asked his first question.

"_So,_ tell me about what is happening now, why you are all at the club? Jun mentioned a mission." He looked at the faces of all the team and his gaze settled on Joe, who had obviously taken command while he was gone.

Joe responded looking him back in the eye." We found out that Count Egobossler…Jun told me she filled you in on him… Likes to go to that club when he is in Utoland running the military and the government, I'm not sure if she told you that President Anderson is also dead…" Ken flinched at that, another thing to add to reasons they had to keep fighting Galactor.

Joe gave a sarcastic smile as he continued, avoiding looking at Jun as he made his next statment."He has _quite_ an appetite for women from what I hear. He has not been there during the time we have been on the mission at the club, but we have found out that it is defiantly run by Galactor and Devil Stars dancers there as well." Joe took another mouthful of pasta as Ken processed the information.

"Who told you that Count Egobossler went there?" Ken was still not convinced about it as he waved his fork at Joe.

"Well," Joe sat back in his chair and put his hands behind his head.

" We have other contacts in the Resistance. The most reliable are the _Lone Gunman _apparently those three geeks have been feeding the ISO with information for years. They made contact with us through who knows what source after Dr.Nambu died… They warned us that Galactor knew we wore the uniform, and our wrist bands could be easily identified." Joe went back to finishing his pasta.

"The _Lone Gunman?_ Tell me more about this Resistance…" Ken mused more to himself, maybe they were a contact of Dr.Nambu's, he a few that Ken knew of, but he didn't know all of them.

"Do they know you identies?"Ken was curious about this group, and how much trust the team had in them.

"Yes" Jun responded, "it was how they contacted us. They knew to find me at the Snack J and told me I had to get out of there, ASAP. They had accessed records to try and find us; it's amazing the fire walls in programs that these guys can break through. But they feared for us, and wanted to help us. They had to convince Joe that they were not Galactor…poor John…"Jun almost laughed as she remembered an inside joke that she had with Joe.

He raised an eyebrow at her and gave her an affectionate smile. Ken had a jealous wave rush over him as he realized they had grown close in his absence. How close he intended to find out.

Ken chose not pry into that bit of trivia; he needed other information about the Resistance.

Before he could ask Ryu started to talk. "Well Ken, they are a group of former ISO and UN workers, Galactor disbanded any group that they felt was a threat to them. They started to execute anyone that would not work for them, so ISO and some UN people went underground. The only ones who know our identities are the _Lone Gunman_. But to the rest we still remain anonymous too. We have contact but only in birdstyles, or when we pose as just another ISO Resistance worker." Ryu had finished his pasta, and was back at the pot looking for more.

Ken was trying to get this all straight in his head and he must have had a hard look of concentration on his face, because of Jun's next comment.

"A penny for your thoughts…" Jun asked.

"Huh"was his response."Ohh…Just putting all the pieces of this puzzle together. I think I understand it all now, but I guess you may still have to fill me in on things at times."

Joe's expression was his usual hard stare again as he began to question Ken about where he had been for four years.

"Ken It still make absolutely no sense to me that you some how lost four years, like there was not time variance for you at all…Tell us more about your flight that day, did anything unusual happen."

Ken had not thought much about his mail run the previous day, since he got back all he could think about was the sudden change in the world around him, Joe had now begun the process of making him think back to yesterday.

"Well" his thought went immediately back to the storm. "I got caught up in freak storm that played with my instruments but that was the only thing…"he suddenly had a thought about that storm and his eyes met Ryu's.

"Are you thinking what I'm thinking boss?"Ryu asked him, being a pilot Ryu was aware of weather patterns.

"Maybe Ryu, what are you thinking." He asked still addressing him.

Ryu scratched his head in thought. "That storm could have something to do with it, maybe." He said becoming doubtful and he looked nervously at Joe.

But Ken had more thought on that unusual storm, he had a gut feeling that it had a lot to do with why he was here in this future world and he was going to find out why, first he needed to find out about the weather patterns and they needed to contact these Lone Gunman.

Ken was going to solve this and get Galactor shaking in their boots, and then there was the mystery of Katse disappearing at the same time as he did….


	5. The Lone Gunman…

Chapter 4 – The Lone Gunman…

Ken and Ryu sat looking at the computer screen of the Bureau of Meteorology of Utoland. They had been there for hours looking for signs of unusual weather activity.

"Have you guys _found _anything yet?" Joe asked as he handed Ken and Ryu a beer each.

Then he picked up a chair, and turned it around and straddled it and then sat down holding his beer while resting his hands on the back of the chair he took a sip of his own beer and looked at them.

Ken shook his head in frustration.

Ken needed a beer after all this time of staring at a computer screen of reports on storms from all over the world.

They were looking for anything that matched the description Ken had of the cloud he flew into.

Especially over the islands that he was delivering mail to that day.

There were some severe storms in other parts of the world, but nothing unusual about the cloud formations, they could trace the patterns as the storms had formed.

But for all he knew it could change or the cloud could have moved into another time, if that was the case they could be chasing something that would never be seen again.

A face suddenly appeared on one of the other computer screens, and a guy with shaggy platinum blonde hair and big black rimmed glasses that looked too big for his face and a cleft chin, who looked to be in his late 20's or maybe early thirties was looking at him.

Ken sat up right in his chair in a panic, but was instantly calmed by Joe's relaxed voice as he addressed the man.

"Well hello there Langley, having trouble finding dates again, I could help you if want me too…so what's going on?" Joe smirked at the nerdy looking guy and toasted him with his beer.

"_Very funny Joe_, I'd like you to _know _that I have no trouble getting dates." He replied to Joes taunt with a touch of sarcasm.

"Hi Ryu," he threw in, Ryu waved his beer bottle lazily back at him.

"Ya coulda _fooled_ me?" Joe chuckled looking back at him.

"Girls _happen _to like men with more brains than...mmm let me think ahh …petrol heads that sniff too much of their own racing fuel-"Richard was cut short by Joe's laughter and Jun's voice behind him.

"Joe leave him alone!" Jun said as she put a hand on his shoulder, Joe looked up at her and raised an eyebrow and a devilish grin. "Another face came onto the screen, this time it was an older man with a receding hairline and bushy dark eyebrows and another set of big glasses, you could tell he was short even on the computer screen.

"Is that Jun?" he asked as he smiled at her.

"Sure is," and she flashed him a dazzling smile.

Richard looked at him." Forget it Melvin…she's _taken._" Melvin shook his head in disappointment." She's such a fox…"

He still hadn't confronted Joe about Jun being a stripper or the level of his relationship with her. Ken had a sinking feeling as he looked sideways at Joe and Jun, they were together as a couple now. He wondered the thoughts distracted him for a moment.

He looked back at the screen not wanting to think about it.

"These guys have to be the Lone Gunman, care to _introduce_ me." Ken asked no one in particular.

Jun answered him." These three dashing men _are _the Lone Gunman," she pointed to each of them." Melvin Frohike, Richard Langley and John Byres," John had just come up to the screen.

They all waved at her." Now _who _are you?" John asked Ken.

"I'm Ken Washio." And he watched as all three jaws dropped and a look of total shock surprise crossed each of their faces.

"No _shit!_" Melvin said moving in closer to the screen." You mean you _found _him and _forgot_ to tell us!"

Melvin looked like he was studying a small insect through a microscope. "I thought he would be taller, less shaggy looking-"He was cut off by John.

John was shaking his head." Welcome back Ken…We were wondering if any of you noticed the weird storm that appeared yesterday."

That got their attention; Ken leaned more forward resting his hand on his chin thoughtfully." Yeah, I think I was in it… what do you know about it." He asked excitement building up from the pit of his stomach, this could be it…his way back to the past he thought.

"I thought you would _never _ask!" John with a serious look on his face, apparently for him this was normal, the short tailored dark brown beard and blue eyes made him look even more serious, he continued.

"We were looking at taking a holiday in the islands, and there it suddenly appeared on the screen when we were looking at weather report, a small plane flew out of it, and then the cloud disappeared into now where."

"How did you guys get such a detailed look at the storm?" The amount of questions he had for these guys was mounting up.

"That plane you saw must have been the Cessna." Ken was fascinated. "We have been _looking_ for it for hours."

"We have a good internet connection…and then there's Google or Yahoo…Really we have the best tracking around. The ISO never believed us when we told them your disappearance was a conspiracy-" Melvin replied.

Ken couldn't help but laugh, he felt like he hadn't laughed in years, and it felt good to release some of the tension he had been feeling.

"Yeah well maybe it was, who knows...but this storm…"He mused." Can I take a look at what you have…?" Ken couldn't keep the excitement out of his voice.

This cloud was the answer to why he was here, but it could also be an issue with environmental changes if it was left alone.

It had to be investigated.

"We'd _like_ to Ken, but the systems failed for a while just after we spotted it, we had it up long enough to get some readings…and then bang! Melvin's been onto it all morning trying to see if we caught the image…" Richard told him putting his hands up in the air in frustration. "Maybe that was why there were no records on it at the Bureau of Meteorology of Utoland..." They all nodded in agreement with that idea.

"There's _more_ to it. From what we could see, before it all shut down on us…"John was ignoring the banter.

"The storm had very _strong _electrical activity, and static magnetic energy…and rain… odd storm…but it did not come from any where on the planet like a normal storm, no build up, it's like it came from no where, literally…We are still looking into it but, well anything weird like that is likely to have been created by Galactor. They could have deleted the records."

"I don't get it, if they have taken control of everything, why do they need to create more weapons?" Ken wanted to know.

"Maybe it a natural occurrence…and it has nothing to do with Galactor." Dr.Pandora offered in the background.

Richard smiled in her direction, and then he looked back at Ken. "Not everything Ken, mainly Utoland and some of the Uranium mines, and they have taken control of few countries…They still have the Resistance, we may act more in secret these days but we can still do _a lot_ of damage. The Science Ninja Team as always has the most impact. You guys are _amazing_… And your right Melvin, Jun _is_ a fox!"

Richard continued. "Look, we will run an analysis of it all and get back to you if find the cloud again, we maybe able to come up with some theories on why you ended up in it…keep in touch…guys."

"Wait!" Ken called out to him, as the others left the computer screen.

"Ahhh Jun." Melvin sighed as the screen went blank, before Ken could ask more questions about that cloud, he had so many and needed get answers…

By this time Jun was blushing furiously to the roots of her hair, and Joe had put his arm around her waist and pulled her closer to him. Ken felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise; still he tried for the time being to ignore it.

"Well this isn't getting us anywhere." He declared letting his frustration be known to everyone and getting up from his seat and stretching his body and arms, Jun moved away from Joe and she was looking at him.

"Is anyone hungry?" she asked looking around the room at Sammie and Dr.Pandora who was playing with her daughter.

"Yes." Ryu said. "But your _not_ preparing anything, remember Jun _we_ just don't go there! " Ryu held up his hand in front of her as she gave him a mock hurt look.

"_I_ do the cooking around here." Ryu got up and went into the kitchen; Jun followed him looking back a Ken and Joe shrugging her shoulders.

Ken looked at Joe; they had some talking to do, and now seemed a good time to do it.

"Do you want to show me around this place a bit more?" It was more a request than an option.

"Sure." Joe shrugged his shoulders and led the way.

Ken didn't ask for more information on where they were going so he just followed Joe out of the common room.

They walked in silence to the elevator, they got in and Joe started to explain a few things about the place.

"There are really only three levels, it's not as big as it seems. The base was built for research and in case the ISO had to move the some of the Mantle Project in a hurry. The ISO has suffered from the loss of power in governments with the project, but we hope to kick Galactor hard enough soon to under mine their power base."

They had now reached the third level and the got out of the lift into a very large open room. This was obviously a lab that Dr.Pandora had been working out of. He could see the blood samples that they took from him sitting on the bench.

"Wow." Was all he managed as he looked around the huge lab. "Joe what were they talking about you having an operation a few years ago?" This was something that had him curious.

Joe just grinned and leaned against one of the benches. "It was nothing really, just an old war wound. Dr.Nambu got a bit worked up over it, and he got some specialist in to look at it, Dr.Pandora was one of them. We were at peace then with Galactor so I didn't mind so much."

He hesitated for a moment and looked at Ken."Jun was great, she didn't leave my side the whole time. We became very close after a while and well…she made me…laugh and-"Ken shook his head and stopped Joe, not wanting to know the details of what he was about to say.

"Joe you _don't_ have to explain, I guessed there was _something _going on with you and Jun."Joe looked only a little relieved and he relaxed just enough for Ken to lightly punch him on the arm and the tension between them eased up.

"So how do we make contact with others in the Resistance?" Ken still didn't have all of his answers, and he was still trying to get his head around not having a real base to work from.

"Well, it's hard, Galactor shoot on site if the suspect a Resistance operative. By working at the club we have overheard the occasional conversation that has enabled us to stay ahead of them." Joe's face was serious now as he tried to fill Ken in.

"If Count Egobossler show's up we may even be able to eliminate him totally…That has us confused a bit though… He has been seen there, but not in the past two months if we could get close enough to kill him than that should rock the foundations of Galactor enough for us to destroy other targets."

Ken nodded, the strategy had its merits. "Was it necessary for Jun to be a stripper?"

That question made Joe flinch. "Yes it was, some of those dancers are likely to be Devilstars. Besides they _are_ the only women who work in the club, and she has good access to back areas that the bouncers don't have…Ken, we are a scattered group of fighters…we have no backing financially…Utoland is totally under their control…Police, hospitals you name it." Joe was getting more frustrated as he spoke.

Ken was still trying understand how it was so necessary to be there. Couldn't they get this information else were. "Is there something else?"

"Yeah." Joe said. "_Top _Galactor brass frequent the place, and we have been able to undermine plans that they let slip out when they boast to other commanders in the private booths. Galactor are not shy to wear the uniform around the city to show us they now rule us."

Now that _was_ a good enough reason to for them to continue the surveillance of the club over a period of two months, they had infiltrated a target point that could get them back in the game again.

"So where do we park the God Phoenix these days?"

"We don't Ken, it got destroyed, and we do not have the facilities to build another one. Kamo, who is an engineer is working on coming up with something for us. But since they found our last base and the half finished new God Phoenix…well that plan was put on hold."

Ken let out a long frustrated breath. "I have the feeling that our hands are tied…But we have to be able to fight back," more effectively, he thought."Well we still have the G-1…It can transmute…" he his brows knitted together while he concentrated on finding a solution.

"But do we want to risk it if it was exposed to that cloud?" Joe questioned. "You don't know what could have happened to it, we could lose you again if you go up in it without it being checked…"

"I'm hearing this coming from a risk taker?" Ken stood there with an amused expression coming to his face.

"Ken, you're my best friend…we just got you back, and well…we'll see if Kamo can go out to the airfield and give the engines a check over, and hopefully he might be able to find some rockets for it." This bought a feral grin to the Condors face.

Ken agreed, it would be good to have a professional mechanical check done on it to be on the safe side…"Well we need another form of flying machine, we'll get Ryu onto it to organize a temporary G-5.Maybe Kamo can come up with something."

With those thoughts in process Ken was getting hungry. "Common, lets go get some food, Ryu should be ready by now. I need to speak to some of the Resistance Leaders." Ken said as they walked to the door.

"Well you just met three of them." Ken stopped and looked at him.

"You have _GOT_ to be kidding me! Those three???"

"Beggars can't be choosers Ken." And then he walked ahead of his still shocked commander.

"Please stop _joking _around with me!" Ken gave him a side long look as a small smirk came to Joe's face.

"They are our intelligence contacts Ken; they find information in the most amazing places…They will keep looking for the cloud now that they know it is important." Joe was walking a little bit ahead of him now so he could not see his face.

"Well I guess your right there, there is no real organization to this Resistance is there. "Ken confirmed his overall analysis of the situation.

Joe stopped and hit the button on the elevator, the doors opened and they stepped in before he responded.

"No…not really, things are in a mess Ken and it's up to us to make it right again." Ken nodded as they stepped out of the lift back into the common room again.

"All right." Ken concluded. "We keep the surveillance going at the bar; I'll have to find a way in there too, just as a customer though…I'll need some other clothes." The food was on the table now and the others could hear the conversation and turned their heads towards Ken and Joe as they sat down, Ken continued.

'They don't _know_ that the Eagle is back so it to our advantage…I want you to make sure you have your bracelets ready, in a pocket at least… and your shoes because you can't transmute without them!" He took a mouth full of the dish Ryu had prepared.

"This is _good_ Ryu." He said acknowledging the Owls cooking; Ryu was chowing down and raised his fork to let Ken know he appreciated it.

Jun had remained silent until now. "I have to go to work." She said silently and got up from the table, Joes eyes followed her for a moment before he got too and he went up the hallway following her.

A few moments later Jun walked up the stairs to leave with a very annoyed look on her face and her green eyes reflected pent up anger.

Ken wondered what that was all about, but didn't have time to question it as Joe joined them tight lipped, and his eyes told Ken that some not so pleasant words must have been exchanged.

"Ryu and I have to leave in an hour for our shift." Joe indicted that Ken follow him as Ryu and Pandora began to clean up.

Joe opened a door to a bedroom; Ken walked in ahead of him and looked around.

There was a single bed against the wall and a small desk that had framed photos on it and other personal items from his Shack.

He walked over and picked up the one of his parents.

He turned to find Joe still in the doorway." Jun took them from the Shack before we boarded it up." Joe moved further into the room. "Your clothes are on the bed, Jun bought some from your shack at that time, and they are in the draws." Joe indicated to the small side table with draws it.

Why Jun would bring back clothes of his from the shack, he wondered.

As if to answer his unspoken question Joe cleared his throat and said. "She figured you'd need them if you ever came back." Joe seemed to force a smile then. "I guess I had better let you go and change." Joe was almost out the door when Ken finally spoke.

"Thanks Joe…I appreciate it." Joe just nodded and closed the door leaving Ken standing in the room alone. He would arrived at the club later than Ryu and Joe.

He had work to do, and he felt he had not much time to do it in.

Ken stood alone for a moment and pulled the note that he found in the shack out of his pocket, he opened the yellowed piece of paper and read it again.

He sighed as he put it on the desk; at least there was a time that she looked at him that way. He thought.

He sat on the bed and put his head in his hands, he was so tired, and too much information in one day can do that to you.

He set the time on the little alarm clock; he could at least get a few short hours sleep before he headed into the club.

He needed to be alert and coffee may not do the trick.

He eased himself on the bed taking only enough time to kick off his shoes and take off his shirt and jeans and he got under the covers. He laid there for only a few moments before sleep took him.

He woke with a start sitting up abruptly to the sound of the alarm and a soft reptile feminine voice in his head.

"Ken the Eagle." She was saying, her voice was fading and he looked around the room to see who was there.

"Ken the Eagle…"she said again.

"Y-e-s." he replied still looking.

"The door is an illusion." Her breathy voice spoke to him.

"What door? Who _are_ you?" He quizzed the voice in his mind; he was wide awake and he was definitely not dreaming.

"Akiya, We know each other…I have to go." And with those words she left his mind.

He hit his fiord for a moment as if to knock some sense into his brain and he got up and ran across the hall and into the shower to make sure he was awake.

The cold water did the trick. "I must have imagined it." He told himself out loud. "Akiya?" he questioned. "mmm…" He wrapped a towel around his waist and went back to put on some fresh clothes.

He picked out a simple checked blue and white shirt and blue denim jeans; the shirt was at least dressy enough he though.

Fashion was really not his thing and he wished Jun was here to offer an opinion on clothing combinations.

He put on his shoes and put his communicator in his pocket, then ran a brush through his shaggy locks to try and make it look neat at least so he would not stand out to much in the club.

He did a quick check in the mirror, not entirely sure what he was suppose to look like, but he figured he passed, and left the hide out.

He got on his bike and began to head into Utoland city; tonight he hoped they would get a break through, something to rock Galactor's sense of victory over them.


	6. Blue Heelers

Ken got off his bike about a block from the club and as he walked up the street he had the feeling of De jà vous wash over him as he passed the street vendor again.

"_Hey_ man, are you back ta see the _ladies_ again!" The man called out in his thick unusual accent.

Ken decided to stop for a minute to talk to him; he went to his pocket for some loose change to buy a Hot Dog from him, fortunately he found some.

Ken smiled at the colourful crocheted béret that the man was wearing tonight. "Where _did _you get the hat from? "Ken asked him looking at it for a moment.

The guy flashed him a toothy bright white smile that contrasted against his dark chocolate brown skin."Jamacia man! Dats were I'm from. "Ken noted the suddenly thickening of the mans accent and the exaggeration of his words.

" Mahh names Cole…Ma liked that guy Cole Porter, and so she named me afdah 'im. Not real good at playing Reggae though… you must be a local…I have lived here for a while now though."

Cole's friendly nature was infectious, and Ken found himself liking the man a lot.

"On tonight's menu we have a choice…Traditional Ameris Hot Dog or an Aussie Snag on a roll with BBQ sauce and onion. Your choice…I like to call this menu… North' n' South." He flashed his bright white grin again as he waited for Ken's order.

"I'll try one of those Aussie Dogs…ahhh snag on a roll…whatever!" Ken decided since he had the Ameris dog the previous night.

Cole handed Ken his Aussie Snag on a roll, and he nodded thanks as he went to take a bit out of it, as Ken was about to walk away Cole started talking to him again.

"There is a bouncer at da door called Joe." Ken stopped and turned at the mention of Joe's name. You look like a reliable kinda guy." Ken raised an interested eyebrow to keep Cole talking.

"Well when you see him at the door. He's the tall one with steely grey eyes and shaggy brown hair, hard looking guy, can you tell him that the dog…the Blue Heeler he is interested in is back up for sale. I have trouble gettin' away from here!" Cole flashed his teeth, at Ken and keep turning is sausages and onions on his cooker.

"Yeah sure. I'll see if he's there…Tall guy, shaggy brown hair." Ken repeated the description to seem like he didn't know Joe and headed for the queue into the club.

It took him ages to get the front door, and there was not much information to be gained there while he waited to get in, mostly young men hoping to get some action with a dancer.

Ken had no money for the cover charge, but Joe pretended to take some from him and just nodded as Ken walked through the door.

Ken would have to deliver the message later; he was pushed along by a group of eager men behind him.

He was certain that Cole was a resistance member, and there was a code relating to Count Egobossler in what he asked Ken to relay to Joe.

Had Joe spoken to him about him being with the resistance he wondered?

Ryu walked past and slipped some money into his hand so Ken decide to go and get a beer and find a table. Hopefully close to a potential Galactor captain having to much of a good time.

One dancer was half way through her routine and he began to wonder if Jun had been up yet. Ryu he made eye contact with Ryu again from across the room and he indicated were Ken should sit.

There was an empty table near the back close to a booth of rowdy patrons, on had a Galactor uniform on. A few years ago they wouldn't be seen in public like that. He thought. It was likely the rest were Galactor too.

So he casually sat near by and then a few moments later Jun came on and his attention went straight to her.

Her music was different this time. "_Diamonds are a girl's best friend."_

_A kiss on the hand may be quite continental, but diamonds are a girl's best friend..._

God she was so beautiful. He thought in awe at the sight of her in a long skin tight black Jacket, a diamond choker around her long delicate neck and black fish net stockings and diamante covered strappy stilettos, she sparkled like a diamond he thought and smiled as he rested his chin on his hand and watched her.

Now that he was over the initial shock of seeing her dressed like this he began to appreciate her in a way he had not before.

He knew he was supposed to be trying to over hear the conversation behind and he could still hear them talking, but it was mainly about the stunning woman dancing on stage, they apparently had come especially to see Madame Honeydew.

She had now removed her jacket to reveal a hot pink satin sequin striped corset trimmed with black lace a small hot pink G-string with sequins on it and suspenders on the fish nets.

HOT was all he think of as he went to mush inside and his heart was running a marathon.

Ken didn't like the comments from the men behind him though, but he could not take his eyes of her as she revealed her body to the men in the room.

A quick glace at Joe told him what Joes real feelings were about her dancing here, he could see Joe was watching the men close to the stage and how she came down very close to them so they could almost touch her, men full of lust reached out to try and touch her breasts, and he saw what crossed Joe's eyes.

It was pure jealousy.

Joe was not focusing on what Jun was actually doing, as she tried to get his attention then she made brief eye contact with Ken, and with a dance move she indicated to a dark corner close to the stage.

Ken followed her arm and beyond it to see a man with blue coloured skin with a sleazy grin on his face as he watched her.

This man had to be Count Egobossler. Ken thought. No wonder he was referred to as the Blue Heeler by the Resistance.

Ken tried to catch Joe or Ryu's eye in that moment. Ryu must have been back at the door and he mentally sent a message out to Joe to snap out of it, and focus on what they were here for, that's when he decided to get up and move in Joe's direction.

He kept an eye on Jun as he made his way through the crowd, seeing if she gave any more signals.

He admired her even more in those moments this time for her professionalism, she kept control over her emotions and she was able to signal to him without the communicators and was on full alert to her environment.

He finally reached Joe after pushing past a crowd of young drunks who were talking about what they would like to do with Madame Honeydew.

Ken cringed at the remarks but he knew it was all wind, she was not a whore and she could kick their arses anytime if she needed to.

He finally reached Joes side, Joe acted like he wasn't there Ken was just another patron on his way to the bar. His brother's eyes were still on Jun, and the hard look on his features seemed like they were set in concrete.

"Hey you _must_ be that guy Joe." He said like he was meeting him for the first time.

Joe responded at first with a grunt, Jun was just finishing her dance and was walking off the stage. Joe finally turned his eyes to Ken.

"That's me what's it to ya." He asked Ken in his deep voice over the noise of the crowd.

"Well that you know that guy Cole that serves the hot dogs out the front?" Ken asked him.

"Yeah I know Cole, everyone around here knows Cole." He replied casually looking away.

"Well he asked me to pass a message onto you…Something about the _Blue Heeler dog_ you wanted to buy was up for sale again."

A casual smile came to Joe's face as he replied. "I'll have to look into then, when I go out to the door again later I'll have to go and say thanks to him. And ahhh…thanks pal for letting me know." He finished and walked away from Ken.

"No worries, I like Cole…he serves good Hot Dogs." Ken called after him with a smile and headed for the place that Jun indicated too.

It was close to the men's room so he made way there so he would not get anyone's suspicions up if they were watching the patrons.

The blue guy was gone, and Ken went into the Men's room for a few moments to see if he was in there, but there were only men lined up beside each other who had to way to much to drink trying to let some of it out at the troughs, some were not so lucky and were throwing it up instead.

Ken walked out disgusted and he tried to see if he could spot him again, but the blue guy was no where to be seen, Ken only hoped Jun got something more on him and why he was here from her position out the back of the club.

Half an hour later Jun was back out on stage again, this time she was back wearing an electric blue coat, this time as she stripped off her costume was a sequin covered bra and G-string suspenders were all in electric blue, the fish net stocking were black but the strappy stilettos sparkled with blue sequins and the song she was dancing to was the upbeat version of "_Electric Blue._" by Icehouse.

_If a boy had a chance, a chance with someone like you, are you gonna break his heart?  
_

She cast a dazzling big smile and a wink in Ken's direction as they made eye contact, and then she giggled, he gave her a smile back and even chuckled at the humour he saw in it. He watch as she maintain her posture and making the reaction part of her act.

A few hours later and they still had no more sighting of him, the club was about to close and Ken decide to leave.

_Let him cry for the moon?_

_Are you hiding somewhere behind those eyes?_

Joe was going to wait for Jun who was finishing up out the back of the club changing after doing a third performance that night, her popularity demanded it, and Ken could see why, Ryu had left a short while before Ken.

They needed to talk about the presence of Count Egobossler there, but they would have to do it when they all got back to the hide out.

As it was Ken was tired so he decided to have some rest before Joe and Jun got in, he went to his room but left the door a jar so he would hear them come in.

Ryu was already in bed and he figured they would be all better after a few hours sleep anyway.

He was woken up by the sound of voices in the common room.

"You _didn't_ have to get so close to those drunken goons. And what was that last outfit for your third performance…you take more off than some of the other girls do Jun." Joe was saying in a low tense voice.

"I was doing what I was suppose to do! We went over this in the car Joe…Next time I'll walk back here next time if keep this up!"Jun's tone was deadly; Ken had not heard her like this before.

"Don't you _get_ it; if I hold back and _act_ like a wooden doll, they would _fire_ me for a start…" Jun's voice was low and angry.

"You're my girl Jun…remember that, we agreed-" He could almost hear Joe's heavy angry breaths.

"You don't own me Joe…Do you think…that I would…Joe you have more dancers trying to get you in their bed…I've seen how they throw themselves at you, and just lap it up-" She threw back at him getting angrier. Ken could mentally picture her stance, with her hands on her hips and green eyes throwing feather shrunkien in Joe's direction.

"I don't _like_ it when you dance so _seductively _for men…I know you have too in that club-" he started.

"Do you think I'm a _whore_ Joe…because that is what you are indicating." Ken pictured her shaking her dark hair, and Joe standing there with his arms folded glaring at Joe, as he heard Jun continue. "We have been _over_ this many times over the past few months…_anytime_ another man looks at me sideways or you get _possessive_ of me. That was _before_ I started working at that club."

Silence followed for a moment before Jun spoke again, she was still fired up, but exhaustion had crept into her voice now. "_Why _Joe… After _all_ that we've been through together, why don't you trust me?"

By this time Ken was at the door of his bedroom, pulling up his jeans and without even taking the time to pull on his shirt or shoes, he was out of the room in time to see Joe with his raised as if he was about to strike her with his anger.

Jun just stood there looking him straight in the eye challenging him to do it.

"Hi Jun and Joe. So what's going on?" He threw in trying to be casual as Joe instantly lowered his hand, he was trying to rearrange his features as Ken walked up to them, trying to get his jeans belt done up.

"Ken." Joe said flatly, he still coming down from his raging temper, and gave Ken a side glance that sent Galactor's running.

"Do you have _something_ to tell me from tonight…"Ken had to break up this tension, he tried hard to put aside in his mind and in his guts causing him to take a deep breath at what he had just seen transpire between Joe and Jun almost coming to blows.

"Yes _I _do." Jun responded to the question that Ken asked giving a quick glace at Joe that was more like a glare.

"Like about the _Blue Heeler_?" He asked as they were both calming down a bit now.

Ken was still trying to understand how Joe could be so accepting of Jun working as a stripper the day before, only to show now that he really hated it, what else was Joe brushing off and putting a mask over, Ken wondered.

"Jun that was _good work_ signalling from the stage…Joe did you see it?" Ken asked his head whipped around to look straight at Joe and he waited for his answer, because Ken knew he was not paying attention and was still reeling from him not being on the job when he should have been.

"I…"Joe started.

"I didn't think so. Maybe the blue outfit later might have got your attention." Ken finished with a trace of sarcasm still looking him in the eye.

"Jun fill us in." Ken was all business now and he could see that it was needed, fortunately Ryu was walking sleepily down the hall and Dr.Pandora was behind him.

Ken took a seat on the couch and the others fell in, Jun sitting next to him on the other side of the couch and Joe found a corner to lean against and cross his arms. Ryu and Dr.Pandora sat at the table.

Jun started her report.

"I spotted him at the time I _signaled_ you and Joe the first time." She said quietly. "I don't know where he came from, but when my first dance was nearly over he disappeared again…He didn't come back for the second act." She looked up at them all and her tired green eyes were all business.

"The group who were near the stage were drunk but one of the mentioned a base…in the mountains near the Himalayas, it seems it is new, the man boasting had just been promoted and was being sent there. He described the location to his friend…I guess he figured I wouldn't hear him or he was to _drunk_ to realize what he was doing…Is it worth checking out commander?" Jun addressed him formally.

"Yeah Jun it is…I'll look into the location in a few hours…I'll take the Cessna for a flight and see if there is any damage to her before we need her for some action…good work Jun." Ken repeated more for Joe than anyone else in the room, he made eye contact with the Condor and he knew Joe understood him.

She looked hesitant for a moment, and then she looked at Joe again briefly before reaching for a small purse she had with her. She pulled a small velvet blue box out of the purse, and then she opened it.

"That's impressive." Dr.Pandora spoke for the first time as she went over to look at the contents in the small blue box.

"Apparently a gift from an admirer." Jun spoke casually being mindful of any reaction from Joe. This time he just stayed in his spot as Ken moved closer to take a look at the set of Diamond and Ceylon blue Sapphire drop earrings. A very expensive gift Ken noted.

"Egobossler?" Ken questioned her, and from the corner of his eye he could see her nodding.

"He was there for a moment when I came back off stage the first time. He didn't say much really, just that I am his favourite dancer, and he would like to get to know me better when he has more time. He left after that."

"I didn't _see _him come back into the club, did you guys see him come _in or go_?" Ken looked at Joe and Ryu who both shook their heads.

"What about Cole, I'm guessing he is on our side." Ken noted to them.

The Owl looked more awake now as he smirked at Ken."Damn straight he is!… a _good _man and _sharp_ but he didn't see anything when I was able to ask him… and nope. I don't know how he did it." Ryu shrugged his shoulders in confusion and looked at Joe who was not talking.

"Then _how_ did he know he was there in the first place I wonder." Ken was now talking to Ryu.

"He mentioned that an idiot told a mate that their exalted leader was likely to drop in so to be on his best behaviour…he guess that meant Egobossler."

Joe just stood there with a stony expression on his face. "I'm _going_ for a walk." He gruffly stated as he abruptly unfolded his arms and walked up the stairs and left the shack, Jun's eyes followed him brimming with tears.

"That's it guys, go get some rest." He quietly told the remaining people in the room..

She remained for a moment with him after the other two had departed and she closed the box and kept in her hands.

"I...I guess I should go talk to him." She whispered softly as a tear escaped down her cheek.

"You look tired Jun…go get some sleep and talk to him in the morning, after you both have time to think it over, you'll both sort it out I'm sure." He reasoned as she gave him a small empty smile.

"Jun…do you love him?" Ken was not sure why he asked her that question, but it seemed like the right one at that moment, she didn't say anything as she stared at her hands.

She looked up with tears rolling down her cheeks now. "Ask me that again tomorrow Ken." He face turned to stone, and she stood up fast and almost bolted down the hall closing the door to the room she shared with Joe a little to hard.

Lovers quarrel. He thought as he got up and stretch his legs.

Well they were close to a beach here, and Ken suddenly needed the smell of salt air to clear his thoughts before he could even think about sleeping again.

Ken walked up to the top of the stairs and out of the dark shack to be washed with a full silvery moon casting its subdued light on a narrow path that lead to the beach.

The path was not well used and had become overgrown from neglect so Ken had to pick his way through the bushes that sprung in his way as went, the distant sound of waves crashing on the sand told him he was headed in the right direction.

Ken didn't know if he wanted to run into Joe at that moment, he was still reeling at the image of Joe and Jun fighting, and her stormy green eyes as she watched him walk away after she showed them the earrings.

It bothered him that Count Egobossler had singled her like that, the last thing they wanted was for Jun to be recruited by Galactor, or worse.

His bare feet hit the smooth loose sand as he felt the fine grains go in between his toes as he walked towards the surf.

When he reached the hard cool sand of the tide mark he had an idea of doing something irrational, something he had done since the war began. Yeah he thought, why not…so he stripped off his Jeans and briefs and ran into the black white capped surf.

The salty water was not very cold, but it was enough to wake him up totally, and his senses came to life as he dove into the black wave coming towards him, he surfaced just in time to dive into the next one that was about to curl over his head.

God this felt so good. It was all he could think about as he focused on diving into shimmering black waves rolling towards him.

He lost himself for while in the ocean and though of nothing else as he swam in the black water highlighted only by the silvery full moon, nothing that was except for a pair of stormy green eyes with a touch of sadness in them.

Images of her ran through his mind as waited for the right wave to take him into shore.

As he watch the wave that was his ride start to form its crest before it began to show the white peaks of it reaching momentum. He began to swim fast to catch the wave a he saw her winking at him from the stage, and giggle as she began her routine in her bright blue stage costume.

He moved his body with the wave like a torpedo as he body surfed the wave as it headed into the shore, and it finally lost its momentum as the water became shallow and went flat and he left it as it gave way and then walked against the pull of the current out of the water as the remnants of the wave he caught in went back out to sea.

He looked at his arms and how the moonlight made the water glisten on his skin as he brushed it off. He looked up to see a shadowy figure standing near his clothes.

"They arrest people for streaking you know." Joe called out to him in an attempt at humour, his mood seemed a little lighter now.

Ken gave him a small light friendly punch in the arm as he grabbed his clothes and began to put them on even though he was still wet. The Condor shoved him back to make him lose his balance as he put a leg into his jeans.

"I'd have joined you Ken, but I didn't want to give you the wrong idea about us." Joe smirked as Ken did up his fly, the Condor had his sense of humour back at least for now.

"Don't _flatter_ yourself Joe, you're not my type…No feminine curves or boobs on you pal." Ken joked as they began to walk back up the beach.

They walked in silence of a moment before Joe broke it. "I _wouldn't_ have hit her out of anger like that. I was angry but-" Joe blurted out and the abruptly stopped walking and his face darked in the moonlight as he looked at Ken.

"Joe, why did you even _threaten _to then? That was not a move to discipline a fighter because they disobeyed orders…that was personal." Ken couldn't help himself, Joe brought it up and Ken wanted him to know that it disturbed him.

"Ken it's not _easy_ to watch her like that, I just lose all focus…I can't explain it. I get jealous of other men seeing what only I should…" He let out a long breath as Ken looked back at him.

"Maybe, if I was in your position I'd probably feel the same. "Ken stopped for a moment to gather his thoughts. "But you should give Jun more credit. She tougher than she looks you know…" He stopped for a moment to look at the Condor. "You should know you're been in battles with her before."

Kens voice became quieter as he spoke things he really did not want to highlight. "She loves you and you know she is a loyal person…right now your doing a brilliant job of driving her away." Joe had a distant look on his face as he continued to talk.

"It took her a long time to get over you when you vanished, and then I'm not sure if she ever really did… then Jinpei and Dr.Nambu being murdered by Galactor... We got together after that… I needed to protect her…I do love her Ken…I do." He finished with an almost desperate look on his face as he looked out over the ocean, as if it would answer him.

"I can tell that…you could go and apologize to her for being such a moody bastard when she needed you. That's a good place to start making up." Ken offered to him.

Joe just grimaced and walked towards the path. "What's _wrong_ with an apology Joe…you _can_ be wrong sometimes you know." He called out after him as he threw his hands into the air in mild frustration at the moody Condor.

Joe just grunted as Ken followed him on the path, being mindful of his bare feet with the loose under growth of weeds as he kept up with Joes fast pace.

Ken grabbed him on the shoulder and made him stop.

"Ken…there is _more_ going on here than you know, we have our differences Jun and I…just leave it…I'll _think_ of something to make it up to her."

Ken stood looking at the back of the departing Condor in frustration. Joes pride could overshadow his common sense sometimes and never felt he had to apologize for anything.

Ten minutes later after he was back into the hideout and he had a quick shower to wash the salt of his body he was to exhaust to think about the events that night as he climbed into his bed when sleep finally claimed him.


	7. Jessie’s Girl

Chapter 7-Jessie's Girl

When Ken got up the next morning he was relieved that there was no one else out of bed.

The previous night had left him drained of emotion, and he couldn't get Jun out of his head considering his dreams had been of her on stage dancing just for him, and then it switched to her in bed with him.

He shook his head and tried to block it from his mind; she was Joe's girl not his and he figured they would work through their problems.

He looked at his coffee and toast and sat down at the table, he hadn't showered yet and he was still in just his boxers when he heard the light footsteps enter the room, he felt colour rise instant to his face as he was used to doing breakfast alone when he saw who was looking at him shyly.

"Hi Jun…ahhh want some toast with strawberry jam." He offered not knowing what else to say.

"Sure." Was all she said as she poured some coffee for herself from the jug and took a piece of Kens toast as she sat down at the table opposite him.

He tried not to notice the scant almost transparent light pink baby doll nightie she was wearing and he staying in his seat as he felt his member harden at the sight of her.

"You're up early Ken," she said quietly as she nibbled on the piece of his toast and battered her long dark eyelashes at him innocently.

"Well I have things to do…I need to general area of that base that you mention last night Jun." he tried to focus on the task at hand, he decided there were advantages to them not all living in the same place together.

"You're _all_ business Ken, you can be too serious sometimes." She gave him a coy smile and then a playful pout. "Just like I have always remembered you, will you not change just a little. "And she gave him her best spoilt little girl look.

He returned her smile as he leaned closer to her over the table. "Well I'm not _always _serious." He gave her a sly smile and cocked an eyebrow. "I know how to have fun too, but then to you, I will always be this way my dear…an illusion, a fantasy…and you wouldn't want me any other way." Then he went back to drinking his coffee and grinning at her over the rim of his coffee cup, two could play this game.

He was actually enjoying this innocent flirting with her, but then his relationship with Jun had always had that underlying current of flirting and innuendo that made it so appealing to him.

Jun didn't let him down, and she continued to play the game.

She sighed, a wishful sigh as she went into the kitchen and his eyes followed her undetected, Jun was seducing him with her movements as she swayed her hips and the short nightie flipped up just enough for him to see the lack of underwear, and he wondered if she was conscious of it.

He tore his eyes away from her, she was Joe's girl he reminded himself and the old rules did not apply now, so he picked up his plate and went to rinse it in the sink, and he could feel her gaze on him the whole time.

He stole a look at her and caught her eye and butterflies went loose in his stomach when she gave him another flirty smile.

"Is Joe still asleep?" he asked in a normal voice, trying to come back down to reality here.

Her look changed and the mood shifted as she nodded her head as she buttered her toast." Yes, the last time I checked." She responded as she daintily took a bit from the piece of toast and her green eyes penetrated him.

"Ohh well if you want to know the location…well I had better tell you." She said casually like he was trying to get it out of her and they'd be back there again flirting.

Ken casually turned up the corners of his lips in a slow deliberate smile that he knew that had always drove her wild with delight, every time he did it her eyes lit up and this time was no exception.

"Go on…"he said raising an eyebrow and he was still playing the game with her.

"He said it was past Jupiter Mountain, it must be close to the mountain there, but that's all I got…"She was leaning over the counter now and he could see straight down her baby doll nightie. He was looking straight at her full well toned breasts and nipples…and they looked more inviting now then when he had seen her on stage the night before.

He could feel a warm rush of blood rising to his face and he swallowed the last of his coffee so fast he almost choked on it trying to tear his eyes away at the same time. "Well…I…I..ahh think I'll go have a shower… I have lots to do today." He announced rushing his words together trying to cover his roaming eyes, as she started to leave the kitchen.

She turned and battered her long black eyelashes smiling seductively at him again, and he almost fled the scene like a criminal from a murder investigation.

This was not fair! he thought as he headed for the shower.

He was just finishing and he had a towel around his waist when she came up the hall as he made his way to his bedroom, they made eye contact as she roamed his body with her eyes and then he watched as she opened the door to the bedroom she shared with Joe with a extra cup of coffee in her hands.

That was a stark reminder of the reality of the situation, she was Joe's girl, and she was _his _lover.

He entered his room and shut the door as he sat down in the chair at the desk; he was so blind all those years ago…

Jun is all the woman he had ever dreamed of and she had been right in front of him and he had took it for granted, but the years to her and Joe, and Ryu and the same time had passed were less than a week ago to him.

He tried not imagine what it was like for her to be lovers with Joe, he had had a reputation with women because of his personality and stand offish demeanor and the women he dated tended to brag about sleeping with a race car driver.

He knew how he came across as more closed off and a loner, and he didn't have the need to brag about what a woman was like in bed.

This did not mean he didn't know how to please a woman or that he liked to be passionate in bed, he liked a woman who had energy, and he liked to please her, it was the most fun part of making love to a woman he thought.

He had had lovers before the war began, and he had had not one complaint about his ability, they generally cried and begged him to stay when he broke it off because he couldn't become to involved in a long term relationship, so he decided not to start them at all after a few ex-girlfriends stalked him.

He knew Jun had had at least one serious boyfriend that he knew of, Koji, but at that time they were no more then team mates. It was much like people who saw each other at work each day, and didn't see each other any other way except as colleagues.

Then war began and that seemed to change as the chemistry developed between them and became stronger. Maybe it was always there, but they ignored it because they had a job to do and they were younger at the time and in training, who knows.

Hine sight is everything, and in this case that was true but he had gone missing at a time when he had his chance with her and now it was gone.

Ken dressed and put the note that she had left back into his pocket, he would carry it with him as a reminder not to let an opportunity to be with someone he loved slip through his fingers again like Jun did.

He quietly dressed and headed to the door hoping he would not run into anyone, as he reached the common room Sammie was playing a game with her dolls and she smiled at him and then went back to it.

So he left the building before anyone could stop him from getting in his plane so that he could do a simple surveillance of Jupiter mountain.

Half an hour later Ken arrived at the airfield, he was greeted by a short older man who had dark hair and a moustache.

He already had the engine cover open as Ken approached him.

"Good morning Ken and welcome back!" He looked up and grinned his black moustache turning up at the corners hiding his top lip, Ken walked up to him.

He recognized Kamo; he had met him once before when checking out the progress of an updated ship he was working on at the time for the team.

Kamo wiped his hands on a rag, to remove the black grease and then he extended his hand as Ken offered his.

"How's it looking Kamo?" he asked him looking into the engine.

"Good, I just did a few standard adjustments but that was it. Other than that it is all ready to go." Kamo said as he closed the hood on the engine.

"Kamo we need another plane, something that the team can use." He waited as Kamo went into deep thought; he looked up a Ken a moment later.

"Joe asked me that a few weeks ago, I have something…but it's not hi tech…" He started and Ken could tell he had something in mind.

"Kamo something is better than nothing. I'm going to take a look around, can you get in touch with the others and get something organized with them, Ryu will be able to take care of what you have…Get him trained up on it." Ken asked as Kamo smiled and nodded again.

"Sure thing Ken, I'll get onto it straight away…Ken." Kamo stopped for a moment as Ken jumped into his plane. He stopped as he was about to get into the pilots seat and looked back at Kamo.

"Its really is good to have Gatchaman back…we'll keep it quiet for a while, but when word eventually gets out…"He hesitated for a moment as if trying to find the right words. "People _need _hope; the Science Ninja Team does that." Kamo finished with the weight of the emotions he carried reflected in his dark eyes as Ken silently acknowledge his comments and hopped into the plane and started the engine.

He flew out and around the Himalayas for a few hours trying to find anything that stood out on the ground….

…And that was how it was for the next week, each day he would fly out to try and find anything on this lead Jun had given.

He transmuted once to see if it was working O.K, it was not something he wanted to test in the heat of battle, but it worked fine and when he got back to the airfield everything was still the same.

The still boarded up shack told him that.

Ken landed his plane and taxied it to the hanger that he had cleanout to hide it away in incase Galactor got wind of the abandoned airfield being used.

He got out and put on the old radio that would only pick up music stations that played really old music, the DJ said something about 1980's songs hour.

Like anyone would listen to music that old he thought and who was Rick Springfield? he thought as he went to check on his fuel supplies, and pottered around the hanger sorting through things that were covered in a thick layer of dust seeing if there was anything useful amongst it.

There were old tools and rusty parts of old planes that his father must have been working on at one point and he made a note as he sneezed to have a really good cleanout one day.

The stands of the song playing in the background got his attention though. "_Jessie's Girl_" the DJ had announced and he stopped to listen to the lyrics of the rock song, for a moment as he looked up and out the open hanger doors to see Jun walking up to him, he had avoided being alone with her since the morning that he saw her almost a week before.

_Jessie is a friend, yeah, I know he's been a good friend of mine_

"Hello there Ken." She flashed him one of her radiant smiles.

"Hi Jun," he nodded as he walked up next to the Cessna and leaned on it.

He was happy to see her, she looked lovely in a loose soft green blouse and tan coloured denim jeans with simple closed in shoes.

Her loose ebony long hair was picked up by the gentle breeze, she move some of it out of her face with one hand and she looked so becoming as she walked towards him, he realized after a moment he was staring and tore his eyes away to look back at his plane, and then he walked over and switched the radio off.

_But lately something's changed that ain't hard to define,Joe's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine…_

"Have you found anything?" she asked as they fell into step together as they walked towards the two motor bikes that were parked side by side.

"Nothing yet, I _wish _we had Dr.Nambu's surveillance equipment to highlight the area." She silently acknowledged his point.

"Well, I've come to take you over to the Lone Gunman's hideout. They have put together a simulator and they want to show you what theories they have about that cloud that made you disappear for four years."

There was sadness and almost something wishful in her voice. They stopped at the bikes and Ken looked at her seriously for a moment as she looked away from him.

"Ken…if you didn't disappear like that…" She began, his heart pounded as he thought about how pretty she looked right now in her green shirt, and he wondered where she was going with the conversation.

"What do you want to say Jun." He wanted her to look at him, but he was afraid to touch her right now.

She hesitated and then looked at him with pain in her eyes. "Would we have gotten together…We used to flirt all the time, but you never…well you…never mind it's not important." Her tone changed and she began to get on her bike.

"No wait…yes it is." He put a hand on her arm to stop her from starting up her bike.

"Jun if things were different, well I don't know maybe…but Joe is with you now… you gave your heart to him. He got a bit jealous and over protective…but he needs you...he loves you…He's right for you…" Ken couldn't believe he was saying this, he wanted her for himself, he didn't really mean the last part.

But she kept sending him signals that he wanted desperately to ignore, why was she doing this when she was so affectionate with Joe when they were all together.

Ken could tell how much Joe was trying to get over his jealously, but he could see there was still some tension between them.

That song came to mind that he heard on the radio a moment ago, how ironic that the lyrics of an old song fitted his feelings perfectly as he looked at her.

_Jessie's got himself a girl and I want to make her mine__…_

Jun swallowed and looked back at him she went to speak several times and nothing came out, they just stood there looking at each other, lost in a moment as the song went through Ken's head, but the name began to change of the friend to Joe…

_And she's watching him with those __green eyes,_

"Ken we should go." Was all she managed as he went and got on his bike.

_I play along with the charade, there doesn't seem to be a reason to change_

He held back his emotions as he followed her, trying to get the jealousy he was feeling right now under control over the fact that Joe had her as his girl.

_You know, I feel so dirty when they start talking cute__, I wanna tell her that I love her, _

_But the point is prob'ly moot…_

He watched as her blouse caught the wind and he tried to concentrate on the road… he loved her and now he had to do everything in his power to stop. But how do you do that he wondered.

_And she's lovin' him with that body, I just know it__, Yeah 'n' he's holding her in his arms late, late at night _

Did he ever wish he had Joe's girl he thought as the wind blew past him and he watched her cute butt ahead of him as he worked to keep up with the Swan.

_Like Joe's girl, I wish that I had Joe's girl__, you know I want Joe's girl….._

They finally arrived at the location as they rode into an old factory that looked like it was falling down, they rode through narrow wet concrete paths to the door of a smaller building on the sight. Jun stopped in front of it and an automatic door opened up.

"We park the bikes in here so they won't be seen," she told him as she pushed hers through the doorway, Ken followed and then they waited in front of another door. Jun pressed a blue button and then it opened.

"Door bell," she simply stated.

Ken said nothing as they walked in but he was on full alert all the way down the long narrow corridor and winding bends. Finally they found themselves at another door.

This time Richard opened it.

"We saw you coming! "he announced with a small smile and Ken noticed the security screens, they must have hidden cameras everywhere he thought.

"Come in guys." He indicted as they walked into a very large room that had a ceiling that must have been three floor levels up. Ken instantly took in his surroundings.

Computer terminals set up along one wall, he counted nine screens set up in a semi circle with Melvin on a seat in the middle of them. The screens had different things up on them and some looked to be number crunching.

"Melvin looked behind him and flashed Jun his best smile." Welcome my dear!" He flirted with her.

"Hi Melvin, Richard…"and she looked around for the missing man."Ahhh John, "she called out as he came into the room.

"Hi Ken…Jun." He heard the come of various greetings from the three men. Ken just nodded and walked over to the screens.

"You guys have something to show me?," he quizzed pulling up a swivel chair beside Melvin.

"No mucking around with you is there!" Melvin screwed up his face as if a little annoyed and then looked back at what he was doing with the number crunching.

"Well…I just want to know what you have that's all." Ken asked spreading his hands to show him he meant no harm.

"So Jun, how long do you have here before you have to get back for work?" Richard asked her.

"Well I'm not working tonight…Joe is and Ryu are working a later shift." She told in a conversational tone.

"Sounds good…do want to stay for pizza? Richard is making his special gourmet pizza up tonight…do like Tandoori Chicken?" He blurted out looking a little nervous.

"Yeah why not…that sounds good guys…I guess delivery is not a good idea here." Ken tried for a joke as he spun around in his chair, he didn't trust himself being alone with Jun for too long and from the look on her face she was about to say no.

"Well…sure." Jun shrugged and smiled.

"O.K." Richard said

"Let's get down to business here." He reached over, and touched a few buttons and a three dimensional image popped up on the screen.

It was of a storm cloud formation.

"This is what we think." Melvin began as he transferred the image over to the largest flat screen in the middle of the nine other smaller screens, then he continued.

"You went into this cloud on a normal day…but we think it is a man made cloud."

Ken was listening as he studied the screen. "And?" Was all he said as his eyes searched the screen.

"Well if you look closely it has something else in it. This is based on some of the data we were able to save."

They were all crowded around him now as Ken silently studied the screen, using the mouse to zoom in parts that he wanted to look closer at.

"This is just a recreation from real footage?," He finally quizzed John who was now beside him. They had been looking at the footage for several hours now, but Ken kept highlighting and looking at detailed sections of the storm formation.

"Yes and no, we were able to get it cleaned up from what we had to make it clearer for you to look at-" He was saying before Ken spotted something.

"Wait a _minute_, he said with excitement building up in him. "It's a _mecha_!"

"Katse!" He hissed as almost jammed a finger through the screen at the curve of a metal panel he could just make out.

"What makes you say Katse…he dis-a-pear-ed around the same time as…you did…"Jun's voice slowed down and faded as the realization hit her. "Katse created that storm.

"You bet he did, and he probably is still in it somewhere in time…lets hope he doesn't figure it out before the cloud turns up again… If it ever does show up again."

"Well. "Richard offered." We have a theory on that."

Melvin finished for him as he looked at his two comrades. "We think it could be in a loop, which means that it will turn up again in this time if it is not stopped, but we just don't know when…it could a day from now or twenty years from now. The thing is if it travels into the future and Katse…" He stopped then and left the idea hanging.

"Katse works out he has a _time machine_ on his hands then we are in a lot of trouble." Ken finished.

Somewhere in a Galactor base…

Sosai X was alone again in his think tank, he was board at this time and he was missing Berg Katse because he was his own creation.

The damn fool could be incompetent at bringing in the Science Ninja Team but he was totally loyal to him and he never had to question that from his own creation. Count Egobossler was one he had to constantly watch, a man with his own agenda and he was becoming lazy now that he had some power.

He needed another project he decided, a leader who he could control…so he began to reach out his mind to the one he was interested in for his next leader…

"You think to deeply sometimes darling." Her voice interrupted his train of thought.

"I think for usss to survive these inferior beingsss Akiya," he responded getting annoyed with her for pulling him back.

"Inferior?" she questioned. "Or are you referring to the inferior slaves you have here to run our army on this planet." Threw back at him.

"Slavesss…a slave will do what you want if you whip it hard enough…these are just incompetantsss."He hissed back getting angry.

"I hate them _all_ Akiya, they are _not _civilized like we are no matter _how_ much they have evolved. They are not our equals, you are too soft my darling mate…Have you forgotten how they brutally _murdered_ our first young?" He coldly responded to her.

"Do you think I would _forget _our children? You have plans for the humans don't you…We were here only for resources…it was our home once too…"

She softly hissed in her reptile voice…

"Go away Akiya, my love…"he off handily threw in as if to satisfy her.

"Leave it to me; I will not fail here…" He shut her out of his mind as he reached out the young girl that wanted for his next experiment…Yes he thought she would do just nicely…

Back at the Lone Gunman hideout…

Ken and Jun were now sitting at the table finishing their pizza when Jun announced they would be leaving.

He gave her a quizzical look as she got up from the table. "Well we should be home when Joe and Ryu get in." She replied casually to his look.

It was not very late at all but from the look on her face he decided not to argue, hopefully Dr.Pandora and Sammie would be there.

As they prepared to leave Ken thanked the Lone Gunmen for the information.

"We'll be in touch if we spot it again, take care of yourselves in the meantime." John said as the walked out the door. Jun lead him through the maze again as they got on the bikes.

As they waited for the doors to open she shot him a frown and her green eyes flashed almost in anger at him.

What did he do? he wondered.

"You've avoided being alone with me, so far this week you have succeeded, but this _can't _go on forever Ken." And before he could respond to that she took off on the bike and all he could do was follow.


	8. Quails Beach

Chapter 8 – Quails Beach

When they got back to the Hideout no one was home, and he could see that Jun was still mad at him, by the way she walked and the flat look on her face.

Ken was racking his brains to try and find out what was wrong here, and why she was suddenly so irritable towards him.

She hadn't opened her mouth since the time they had left the Lone Gunman's place, not that it was easy to have a conversation traveling close on a motor bike but she managed to keep ahead of him the whole way.

When they reached the entrance of the hideout she stormed ahead of him, so he just followed her down the stairs.

"Ahh Jun…"He grabbed her arm and spun her around to face him when he finally caught up with her.

"What's going on?" He let go when he saw the expression on her face again and unshed frustrated tears stood in her eyes, his arms dropped to his sides and he just stared into her eyes waiting, questioning her with them.

"You. "She pointed accusingly at him." You look at me with those eyes, and you ask me that question like you don't know the answer." She had lost her anger now and bit her bottom lip to stop herself from crying, he swallowed not know what to say.

"Please calm down, you're confusing me." He could feel his face forming an expression to reflect how he felt at that moment; he was totally confused by her sudden outburst and her change towards him, and he began to feel that she saw right through him.

"You _lied_ to me this afternoon when I asked you about _us_. I know you did, and then you avoided being alone with me." Her anger had returned a little but it had taken on a different tone.

"Please _explain_ it to me, when your eyes say to me that you love me and your mouth says something else?" Her green eyes had gone wide and her pupils then dilated as she focused on him and stepped in closer to him.

Then she just stared at him waiting for an answer almost like she wanted to say something else but she could not find the words. He watched the rise and fall of her chest her trembling lips and he knew the same emotions were running through her as they were through him.

He knew what she wanted him to say. "Jun we _can't_ go there…please don't make this harder then it already is for me…I _want _to be with you but I _can't _…stop looking into the past." He turned away and left her staring at his back, and then he ran back up the stairs and out of the shack, his heart pounding and his hands sweating as he shook from the emotions that were racing through him.

He ran down the path and onto the beach and ran as fast as he could for a short while and then he collapsed on the soft sand and cried out loudly in frustration as he griped his head and he crouched down into a tense ball, then he rolled over onto the soft sand and stared up at the stars in the night sky that looked like shimmering diamonds on a black velvet backdrop.

"_Go back to her you fool!"_ The annoyed female reptilian voice spoke in his mind, and he could feel a presence, he was not waking up from a long sleep this time, and it stood out distinctly.

"_What…who…Akiya?"_ he questioned out loud looking around him frantically for a unknown attacker, but the presence he felt was gone, he was going mad!

He looked out towards the water with the emotions still coursing through him and he clenched his jaw as he stripped off his clothes and then ran into the surf, anything to distract his thoughts on Jun or that strange voice and get control of himself again.

He blinked as he ran into the cool salty water as her soft pretty face in those moments ran through his mind…

In those moments that he stood there looking into her green eyes he had the compulsion to pick her up and take her to his bed, and make love to her, the need was so intense and she looked so inviting.

Her eyes glazed with tears and full of emotion her lips parted and slightly trembling as if to invite him to kiss her, and he could feel the static electricity between them, one touch from her was all that it would have taken for them be in bed together.

That would have been a bad move, so he ran away to prevent them from doing something they would both regret.

So he took his frustrations out on the waves as dove into them, his thoughts reeling on the past week, the life that he had lived until now seemed like eons ago, a distant memory that belonged to someone else.

He stopped for a moment when he heard splashes close by and he turned in the water to see who it was.

"You keep to _your _part of the surf, and I'll _stay _on mine. Don't get any ideas…" The sweet soft voice said as he looked over to see Jun about three meters away from him showing nothing more than her neck out of the black water as her dark hair floated around her in the silvery moonlight.

He let out defeated breath as he stayed right were he was, the surf had flattened out at that moment and they exchanged glances as they looked out too sea.

She was persistent he had to give her that much, he thought.

They swam in silence for a while as Ken tried to think of what to say next, he guessed an apology was a good start.

"Look, I'm sorry…I shouldn't have run out on you like that." He humbly meant it and as Gatchaman he should have more control over his emotions, but as Ken he really didn't at times.

"Well… I should not have confronted you like that…lets drop it O.K." She pleaded a little, like she was concerned about something.

"Maybe it's not O.K; I have done that to you before haven't I." He wanted to get all this behind them now.

"Yes…years ago when it looked like we were getting somewhere…but it is in the past now, I guess I should accept your apology." She looked at him hopefully and he acknowledged what she was saying.

They were silent for a while longer before Jun spoke again in a lighter voice. "Do you do this often?" She asked casually as they went over the top of a soft wave that broke closer into shore.

"Before the war began I used too, it clears my head have I found." He was still keeping his distance, and she had not come any closer.

The silvery moonlight made her hair almost blend in with the water, but her fair skin stood out like ivory against black velvet as the dim light reflected softly of the surface of the water.

"I have come swimming here of a night sometimes since we began to live in the hideout." She began in a distant voice; Ken didn't want to ask who with.

"I have always been alone…Joe is not fond of the surf…he likes to just sit on the beach." She looked disappointed, and Ken was surprised that Joe would not be in the water with her looking this hot; Joe turned down opportunities to have sex in the surf! Was this the same Condor who had a reputation as a ladies man he wondered?

"But then he has other qualities that I love, he's a great kisser, and he is not what you would expect…Joe is more conservative than I thought he would be, considering his reputation. But he is affectionate… " She smiled gently as she treaded water lightly with her arms.

"Ohhh?" Ken asked.

"He looks after me, he…he helped me deal with the difficult time that I had after Jinpei died and that voice…I though I was losing it…" She had a distant sad look on her face and he figured she was thinking about Jinpei.

"A voice?" He questioned, he was concerned now for the Swan, basic psychology says hearing voices in your head can sometimes not be a good thing. Especially after something as traumatic as losing a loved one, but then who was he to talk since he heard that voice again.

She casually shrugged her shoulders. "I doesn't matter now…It was just a thing that happened, and Joe used to hold me at night so that I wouldn't hear it. It was always telling me things about you, the voice was familiar to me…I- " her voice went almost to a whisper and he only just caught the last part. "Joe told me to ignore it, it wasn't real…One of those nights we crossed a boundary between us…you really don't want to hear details of my relationship with Joe." Her voice lifted and her mood changed and she relaxed, as they dove under a wave and swam out past to get past the breakers.

They got ready to dive under a wave that was reaching breaking point, a moment later they were back to looking at each other again as Ken wiped the water from his eyes and looked at the next wave heading towards them.

Ken looked at her for a moment. "I probably don't but then, I think you have been a bit distracted since I came back, not you usual self…"

"Ken we have our moments, but Joe and I have our differences too, but he can be sweet...Joe is always up front with his feelings, in that area he doesn't hold back."

"Unlike me." Ken pointed out; knowing the truth on that one.

Well" she replied in a matter a fact tone. "Well Mr. Eagle-don't- let- anyone- in, or show- my- true- feelings…you can be contradictory at times, but then you don't need to express everything the way Joe does…"

The current had brought him closer to her, that's when he noticed she was totally naked, just like he was as the water dipped and she was exposing part of her breasts as she swam in the water.

"Jun this is _not_ a game, people get hurt in this one." He said taking in the sight of her lovely body beneath the clear dark water in the moonlight.

"I know Ken; I'm a grown woman who can decide things for herself." She told him sternly, the strong independent side of Jun came out in that statement.

They were close enough to touch now and he was enjoying this time with her, they hadn't taken the time to find out their personal likes and dislikes or to be open in conversation like this.

He wanted to know more things about Jun. "Is this something you did before I went missing? Go swimming naked late at night at the beach." Ken wanted to know, and the question got a genuine smile out of her.

"You bet, I like my privacy at times…and one day on a fine night like this I found myself at the beach, needing to clear my thoughts so I stripped off my clothes and ran straight into the water…it felt so good…so in the warmer weather that's what I did… sometimes." Ken liked the images it created and the reality of it in front of him, and this was a new side to her that he had not thought about before,

Ken shook his head to clear the thought and he swam a little closer to her. "And you _never_ invited me, no wonder you had so much trouble getting my attention. "His mood always improved when he was with Jun.

"So what's your favourite beach?" he asked her.

That was not really true about getting his attention she already had it, but a midnight swim at the beach would have worked wonders in speeding things up.

"That was _all_ I needed to do!" She then threw her hands into the air and fell on her back as her breasts came out of the water for a moment, and he tried not to gawk at her devastatingly beautiful body.

They swam over another wave moving gently with the blue/black glossy salt water, and the tension had eased. They were laughing as she splashed water into his face, so he got her back. "The beach _I_ liked to swim at was Quails Beach." She said in between water fights.

"I know Quail's beach well." Ken could feel a blush rising to his face as he remembered a girlfriend he had had when he was seventeen that liked to make love in the surf, he didn't argue with that, he enjoyed it. Quails beach was the one they used to go too, and find private places among the rocks up the end of the beach.

"It has lots of good private places in the rocks. "He spoke out loud, not even thinking for a moment on what he was saying.

"You know those rock faces well, by the sounds of it." She was looking interested in this conversation.

"Well yeah… you know that there is a beach further up that is in between two cliff faces, it's only small but I know a path down there…" He knew that path alright, that was where he used to swim alone at night or take his book to read late in the afternoon, but that was before the war began.

"The Eagle keeps it all to himself…lucky girl whoever she was that you used to take there…I'll have to check it out sometime, how did you find it?" She asked with a raised eyebrow and a slow gentle smile came to her light pink lips, she guessed his reasons for going to this private beach, but she was wrong on that, he never took a girl there.

"I flew over it, no one goes there because of the cliffs but I spotted a narrow path from the air…I like to go there alone." He did still go there at times up until he ended up in the future, but it was to think about the Swan.

"Alone…never with a girl." She quizzed him with a surprised look on her face. "Did you name this little beach of yours?" she wanted details, and that was like Jun, he wanted to say it was called Swan's Cove from the curve of the white that looked like her wings sand and how in the pink light of the sunset reflected of the rocks made him think of the Swan.

"Yes I did." He replied looking at her with a knowing smile at what he had named his beach; it was even before they had even really begun to notice each other as more than just team mates…

"What then." She was closer now and it took all his self control not to touch her, so he splashed water at her so she didn't ask him any more questions, she seemed to have left the topic alone as they swam in the water under the moonlight.

They swam and talked for a while on various topics and they found they had a lot of things in common that he had not realized before.

"Well how about I go in first, and then you can follow, I'd like to keep something of me a mystery to you." She teased as she caught a wave in.

He almost got dumped by a breaker as he watched her slim curves as she emerged out of the water and the moonlight bounced softy off her ivory skin as she gracefully walked up the beach to get her clothes. He watch watched as she first twisted her wet black hair. The moonlight highlighting every curve as she turned for a moment and he front was now showing, the sight of her took his breath away.

He could feel his raging hard on lift in the water, and now he was feeling physical pain from it, 'ohh' he thought it has a mind of it's sometimes, as he winced and tried to get it settle down.

So much for not seeing anything of her naked body, he thought as he caught a wave in.

She was still on the beach, and she was pulling on her light loose shirt as he walked out of the water and he knew she got a full frontal of him as he walked up to his clothes, lucky he got his member under control as he got out of the water… then she purposely turned away.

"It's alright." She said innocently. "I _won't _look."

"Too late for that, I saw you having a perve at me." He said accusingly as she giggled.

"Well…I liked what I saw…nice butt, well as you said let's not go there." Then she began to walk as he did up his jeans and he jogged to catch up with her.

"Jun you are so cheeky sometimes." He felt light headed and so free for a moment walking with her, that he almost took her hand in his.

She gave him a side glance. "I like you like this, you hide this side of you all time. I like your serious side too…but at the moment…you are more relaxed, you should try it more often."

"I will, I'll try not to hide my feelings, but I like my privacy…and a good book." He added with a gentle smile for her. He meant that about learning how to show his true feelings more, but he still didn't want to tell her he loved her, that line was not to be crossed for Joe's sake and he began entertaining the idea of going back to live in the shack at the airfield.

"I liked the last book you were reading, it was beside your bed at the Shack. A biography, interesting subject." She pointed out, he thought Jun didn't like to read.

"I thought you didn't like books!" he pointed out.

"I do...just not the ones Jinpei used to read...soppy stuff, and with running the Snack J there wasn't much time to read." She shrugged her shoulders and looked at him with a simple smile.

"Well if you want to borrow any good books come and see me." He offered.

"Thanks…I will." She smiled up at him as they reached the path.

"We make good friends Jun…lets try being that." He looked at her to see her reaction, if he could have nothing else other than her friendship that would be more than just being her lover could ever be. He thought.

"Friends." She said and nodded, and she gave him that smile that made him go to Jell-O.

They walked up the path and when they got back into the hideout he quietly took his leave to go and take a shower, by this time Dr.Pandora and Sammie were home.

So when he was finished he put on his P.J's and went into the common room to have hot chocolate with the girls as they waited for Jun to finish her shower, a few moments later Jun walked into the common room drying her hair and wearing casual stretch shorts and a white singlet top.

He took his seat on the lounge feeling the tension leave him and contentment took its place. They all talked for a while, Sammie was excited that her mother would be taking her to the amusement park sometime during the next week, and she chatted about all the rides she wanted to go on.

Dr.Pandora had other reasons for going there, but it was better that Sammie didn't know about them.

Joe and Ryu arrived home a short while later to join them all in the common room.

He noticed her smile at him, and give him a kiss and he worked at shutting out the feelings, the relationship Joe had with Jun was none of his business, he figured his being there was just confusing her, surly she loved Joe he thought.

The tension of the past week was disappearing at that moment and they all seemed to be adjusting to him being back in their lives, Joe still shot him odd looks every now and then, but he figured it had to do with Jun.

"So how did you go tonight?" He asked as Joe and Ryu took a seat with them. Dr.Pandora had gone to put Sammie to bed.

"Well." Joe began.

"The lead you got from Jun was spot on." Joe said sitting forward in his chair.

"How so?" she asked. "Ken has found nothing on his surveillances."

"You're right there Jun." he nodded and waited for Joe to keep talking.

"Well it goes like this." Joe sat back in his chair, his black shirt and Jeans made him look more dangerous, Ken thought as a feral grin spread across Joes face.

"I kicked out two drunken men that were defianetly goons. One told him if he didn't report to the Himalayan base tomorrow than he'd likely then be thrown in the locker."

Joe was chuckling now. "His mate replied in almost legible language. You mean the one north of Jupiter Mountain in that big carved face."

Ryu was even holding his sides in hysterics now. "Where do they find these guys Joe."

"I don't know but how they got the best of us…." Joe had settled down now as they all got a grip on the laughter that had become contagious in the room.

"Well it looks like we run a mission tomorrow. I saw that carved face, but there was nothing suspicious about it." Ken mused for a moment; he looked at the other pilot in the room.

"Ryu have you got some transport?" Ken asked looking at the pilot.

Ryu gave him a dopey look and smiled as he shrugged his shoulders."Kamo showed me yesterday…I can work with it, I made a few touch ups to it, but we do have missiles."

"_Halleluiah_!" The Condor shouted and slapped the Owl in appreciation for his efforts.

Ken and Jun exchanged a smile and she looked back at Joe who was in a good mood to be getting some action.

"One more thing." Ken added as they all stood together." Jun took me to see The Lone Gunman today. They had a close up of the cloud…We have some theories on it."

"You're one for keeping secrets, keep talking." The Condor's face had become serious now.

"Well the short story is that it could be a mecha that Berg Katse designed, I flew into an artificial cloud and he could still be out there. If we see that cloud again we have to find a way to destroy it. I'll go and study it some more to see if I can find a weakness to it." He needed to fill them in quickly as they all needed to get some rest. They all agreed and an annoyed looked passed over the Condors face.

"I want to get revenge on that bastard, he had a nerve vanishing before I could kick his ass!" Joe walked over and punched a wall.

"We go in birdstyle tomorrow. Check your weapons and Get some rest guys." Ken announced with a grin, as the Condor looked lost in his thoughts of revenge for a moment. He nodded with a hardened face that Ken noticed brought a frown to Jun's.

This pair confused him, and he wondered if it was one of those love hate relationships but the sex was good…he almost grinned at that, he was better not to ask he figured.

Ken laid in his bed trying to get some sleep, but all he could do was toss and turn.

This mission was important to the team moral and they had to get a victory here, or at least the base had to be destroyed.

They all had person weapons, Kamo had been able to provide them with explosives and spare cable guns, yo-yo bombs for Jun, and he had his birdrang.

"You should have told her more of you feelings Ken the Eagle." Akiya's voice was in his mind again.

"_Akiya?_" He questioned as his eyes flew open and he looked around the room.

"Why do always question who I am, you know who I am." She sounded confused.

"Alright." He sighed.

"You are complicated…you and your mate. Your species…" She stated in a tone that told him she was also fascinated.

"Your mating rituals are odd…why do you not challenge him since he stole your mate, he is not right for her, they want different things..." Akiya asked as if Ken should have an answer for her.

"Why do you want _me_ to have Jun…?" Ken was curious now; maybe he was not going crazy after all…a voice spoke to Jun.

"Never mind Ken the Eagle, I must go…my own mate wants to speak with me…I wish I felt the love from my mate that you want to give to her…" She sighed and then she was gone from his mind just like that.

Ken laid his head back down on his pillow…he had to solve the mystery of Akiya and when he got the chance he would question Jun more about the voice that she said she heard in her head at times.

Was Akiya a friend or a foe he wondered as he drifted off to sleep.


	9. Sammie

The early morning sun was bright and warm, and Sammie was on the beach enjoying the light cool sea breeze that carried the scent of the ocean with it.

Sammie was playing on the beach near the shack hideout that she called home; she rarely left the hideout to play alone, so she was treasuring the time to allow her imagination to take over, Sammie opened her mind to the day and with it her friend came to visit her…

Sammie Pandora had a good imagination, and always created her own stories that she told to her dolls and sometimes to Jun or her mother.

She was in the middle of creating a sand city that had a fort and walls when the voice came into her head, she had been talking to this person for a while now, and he kept her company when she was alone which was more often than not.

"Sssaammmie."The deep voice hissed.

She sat down and reached out to it, she could not tell if it was a boy's voice or girls.

"Are you a boy or a girl?" she asked as she returned to building her sand city.

"Doesss it matter… sss?" It responded casually. "Well you sound like a boy to me." So she decided to think of the voice as a boy, she really did anyway.

"I guess not, but I still like to know, why won't you tell me your name? "He always asked her questions, sometimes she answered them and other times she didn't.

"Sssaaammie I am your friend and you can trust me…ssss" It said and she knew he was going to ask her a question, he always said that when he wanted to know something.

"I can? "She asked him skeptically. "So, _why_ won't you tell me your name? I can't trust you if I don't _know_ your name." She stated throwing her hands in the air, it was fair, he knew her name, and she started on the next part of the city wall.

"You can call me Sosai," Finally, he had a name she thought.

"Well Sosai, what do you want to ask me?" She had stopped building for a moment and waited looking at the waves crashing on the beach near by.

"About your friendsss, I have sssome important information for them. I need to contact them."

Sammie sighed; she couldn't tell anyone about this place, or about her friends, she had been sworn to secrecy if anyone asked. She had only told him the last time that they wore funny watches sometimes and there were four of them now. She didn't think _that_would do any harm.

"I can't talk about them. They _are _my friends." She said getting annoyed with Sosai.

"Your loyalty is to be commended Sssammie, I have great respect for those who are loyal to their friendsss." His voice was filled with admiration for her, and Sammie had a sense of pride that someone would think that of her.

"Thank you." She said and she meant it.

"Mamma's taking me to the Theme Park today to go on the rides…we were going later in the week, but she decided we should go today instead."

Sammie looked up from her city and smiled her brightest smile as she noticed the woman walking towards her.

"_Jun_!" She was so excited to have someone else to play with. "Do you want to build the sand city with me? I have one more fort to build and another part of the wall."

Jun gave her a small smile and looked at her work. "The city is coming along well." Jun leaned down to take a closer look and winked at Sammie. "The town planner has done a great job on this, sure lets finish building the city and then you have to come inside."

Sammie looked at Jun's wrist; she was wearing her funny watch, Sosai her friend was still there in her mind, and she wanted to introduce him to Jun. But then she would be told about having imaginary friends again, and Sammie wanted to save herself the lectures. So she sighed as she picked up her bucket.

"Let's play a game Sssamie." He said almost playfully.

'What do you want to play?' She thought back to him. She had Jun now to play with her after all.

"I want to talk to your friend if you let me…it will be fun." He asked her kindly.

"O.K," she thought back. She suddenly felt like some else totally in her mind, it was strange feeling. She looked over at Jun, who looked back at Sammie with a frown.

"Why the sad face Sammie?" she asked her.

Through Sammie, Sosai X asked. "Why do wear that funny watch?"

Jun laughed, and did not answer. "You know why Sammie, because I need to know the time. We have to finish this as I'm due to go to work soon."

"Do you like your work Jun?" Sosai X asked her he wondered if the watch was the same one Count Egobossler presented it to him as a gift; if that was so she had to be the Swan.

"I do what I have to do Sammie when I dance at the club." Jun looked sad now as she looked sideways at Sammie her green eyes narrowed. "Why do you ask Sammie?"

"I just want to know that's all, I might like to be a dancer one day. Your going in early aren't you." She said casually.

This made Jun less concerned, and her face relaxed as she filled up the bucket with the shovel and packed down the wet sand.

"Well I have to practice routines, and well I have not much on today." Would you like some help?" Jun asked as she picked up a bucket and she began to fill it with sand.

"What is the club called that you dance at?" He asked through Sammie.

"You know I work in a club as a pole dancer Sammie…I don't understand why you are asking all the strange questions." Jun sighed and sat down, and changed the topic.

"My brother would have liked this; he loved to be out doors. But he probably would have been looking for unusual bugs instead of building sand castles." In that moment Jun looked like she might cry.

"What was his name again…?" Sosai X asked he knew the Swallow to be Jinpei, but he had trouble trying to get control of his mind for some reason, he was young enough, and Sosai should have been able to control him totally when in he was bought to his presence, it was like his mind was shut off to him.

Jun, the Swan's name was Jun…that was a start; she worked in a dance club. He had Devilstars that were dancers now he needed Katse's Devilstars to look for a pole dancer.

All they had to do was remove those bracelets and they could identify the team. Since he had plans in motion today it may just be the end of them anyway if Count Egobossler succeeded.

It had been known for sometime about the bracelets but the Science Ninja Team had wised up to Count Egobossler, and never wore the uniforms or the bracelets so Sosai's agents had not been able to identify them yet.

A look of mixed curiosity and confusion crossed Jun's face as she guardedly responded to Sammies."Jinpei…but we have talked about him before. You met him a few times…" She responded and got up and dusted the sand from her jeans.

"I'm sorry Jun; I didn't mean to upset you. It was a long time ago to me." Sammie responded as her friend left her mind, he seemed happy as he went.

Contented.

Sammie looked up at Jun and took her hand; she could tell Jun was trying to hide her sad glassy eyes, it was something she did a lot and Sammie was used to it.

But Sammie couldn't explain to her that it was her friend, who asked the questions, she simply felt that Jun would simply not believe her, and Joe would tell her not to talk to Jun about voices in your head, he got angry at that topic.

So she held onto Jun's hand as they walked down the narrow path that lead back to the hideout for some breakfast.

888888888

At a Galactor base somewhere in Utoland…

"Well Egobossler…do you think they got the message." Sosai X drooled as he looked through the screen at his latest leader.

Count Egobossler gave him a sly smile."Ohh I'm sure they did, I have had men out especially in locations dropping information about the base for the last week and half…someone in the Resistance would have passed it onto them by now. We are lining up hideout locations…we will be ready to act soon to take them all down at once."

"Ggooooddd Egobossler…Don't fail me again to get rid of the Science Ninja Team, your incompetence is grating on me. I have already more information on one of them than you have managed in two years." Sosai hissed in anger.

"The Swan works as a pole dancer in one of your clubs…you have Devilstars at your disposal Count Egobossler…why has she slipped through your fingersss." Sosai demanded of the floundering Count who was struggling for excuses.

"Ahh…weellll…Sire that mmm we are-" Ego started putting his hands up in the air in protest. Then he hesitated for a moment. "How do you know this?" He quizzed his superior.

"You have been disssstracted by your current victoriessss and have become lazy, while the Science Ninja Team is still around the humans will fight back…we must crush them." Sosai X hissed at him. "You will aim for their wrist bands and reveal their identities and KILL them, you seem to have trouble doing that when they are in birdstyles Egobossler…" Sosai's tone had become sarcastic now.

"The Swan…" Ego was pawing at his chin with his finger thoughtfully. "When I find out about the rest, is she of any use to you?"

"She will meet the same fate of the Swallow…and her team mates…" He hissed.

Count Egobossler's grin widened." I see…"He was hopeful now…

"There is also a fourth member now…find out who it is…Don't fail me in this Egobossler…" Sosai warned.

"I won't your grace." Ego bowed before his master, he had plans for the Swan, and he did not want to kill her just yet.

When she became his captive he would find out what she was made of…and which dancer she was at the club, he wondered if she was his favourite…ohhh he hoped so.

He wanted the Swan alive…and for himself.

8888888

At Galactor headquarters….a few moment later…

Akiya was lost in her thoughts; she had been disturbed for a long time about her mate Sosai Xeng.

She was fascinated by him from the time he first came to her nest, after the death of her beloved Somue, it was a devastating blow to her, and rarely did one of their species ever die and not rise again from the ashes.

But Sosai Xeng performed the mating ritual that won her heart at a time that she was consumed by loneliness and grief, and they mated for life from that moment on as it was custom among their species.

She knew he thought the humans to inferior to him, and he had contempt for them since they first began to move on the Earth.

But among those who served him he was known as Sosai X, a less species was never to call him by his real name, and she always opted to call him by his formal self proclaimed title of Sosai.

His lust for power over all resulted in him being exiled to Earth for punishment, the leaders of their planet felt he would learn in time not to disrespect them, so he was allow back for a short period of time.

She understood why he disliked the humans, she had once hated them to for what they did her nest and the fledgling's barley days old after they had hatched from the months of her tending to the eggs, they were her beloved Somue's fledglings, and Sosai had taken them on as his own…

But unlike Sosai she was saved from becoming bitter and full of hate from the experience, the human she met by accident changed her outlook on them.

She grieved for her lost young, but Sosai Xeng hunted and killed all the humans that lived on the Island. That was enough revenge for her, but his hatred and bitterness only grew towards them.

He was not what she had thought him to be, Sosai wanted to rule everything around him including her, he smothered her with his protectiveness and demanded her obedience, he frightened her terribly.

Then the time came for them to leave the Earth, many of their species drawn to beyond the stars and galaxy that held promise of eternal life….

She did not want to go; she wanted to stay on the Earth that she had grown to love, and for a short while Sosai stayed with her. But then one day he left her and headed as a Firebird into the night sky towards the stars, she thought she would never see him again, and for that she was grateful…

They were reunited centuries later when he came back for her or so she thought only to discover he was in exile for trying to over throw the Emperor, but he decided to send her to the new home that the Firebirds had created in Selectoru in the Andromeda Galaxy while he went into hibernation on Earth.

They changed through fire again before he put her on the satellite to return with the new fledglings that had hatched after they mated on Earth.

Akiya feared him…and it was through that fear that she realized he controlled her, but she was safe on Selectoru until he was allowed to return.

The Firebirds were the most advanced species in the galaxy.

Sosai X commanded lesser human beings to do his work, manipulated through their minds, like the Firebirds on Selectoru did to the creatures there before it was destroyed by asteroids; she lost her grown fledglings that chose to stay on Selectoru when she was forced to follow Sosai Xeng to Earth.

The Firebirds of Selectoru did not see the asteroid that would destroy the planet this time; it was their moon that was thrown off course by a strange energy surge that passed close to the moon.

She had thought that a Phoenix, as the human she had befriended centuries ago had called her he had said to her. "The Phoenix was supposed to guard the Earth. A Phoenix rose from the fire to become stronger and wiser, and protect those who cannot protect themselves." he had told her.

But Sosai X had other ideas from that kind of wisdom. He never let go of his hate and contempt for the humans, and his need for ultimate power.

Fire made them eternal, and fire was what enabled Sosai to carry out his plans.

She was not so sure, she despised Sosai's plans for this planet that she loved.

Akiya had been searching for him from the time she reached the Earth, and finally she had found the female mate of the human that she had been friends with in a time that had gone past, she remember her, they had already met.

But Akiya realized she did not know her…and the male who constantly told her Akiya was lying and was not real!

How dare he…that male, what did _he_ know of her! So for a time she gave up when he become a part of her life…she wondered if he was deceiving her to make her his own.

Her thoughts for a moment turned to the young boy that Count Egobossler had captured and paraded like a trophy, fortunately Akiya touch his mind moments before he was taken to Count Egobossler, the boy was reaching out for his sister, and that is how she found him.

Akiya knew his young mind was vulnerable and Sosai would try to take over him, but if he knew the woman then he maybe he knew the Eagle as well and she wanted an audience with him.

But that vial Egobossler was eager to put him before Sosai X. So she put a block in his mind to prevent Sosai from consuming him. She was unable to reach him for a time after that, she wanted him to live. But she was unable to save him and it grieved her that she failed him.

But Sosai gave him to that Count Egobossler…and she touched his mind again only moments before his death, how his heart was filled with love for his family, the Science Ninja Team, and the young child's sister, she was the mate of the Eagle's and Akiya began to try and talk to her again…but that interfering male was stronger in her thoughts by then and she was lost…

Since then she had tried to talk to Sosai, but he would not listen, he blamed the humans for the destruction of their world and their kind, he now wanted to totally destroy this planet when he was done with it.

He had been so cold towards her, she had tried to bring back the loving mate that he once was to her at the time he courted her, and she thought the second nest would fill him again with the love he showed her and he forget his need for power his lust for revenge, but it did not.

Now she had no love for him at all, she had been used by him. His willingness to end life and destroy a world she loved, and a race that she had grown to respect, the minions of Galactor were not the kinds of humans that she felt worthy servants of a Firebird.

She had discovered from a councilor on Selectoru that Sosai had killed her Somue because he wanted her, and she had wondered if he had killed her nest too…but Akiya was patient, and she would find her allies on this Earth…the human she had met was one and when she found him again she would help him…

It was not easy to make contact with an adult human a Firebird had to almost have their permission to enter their mind, it was much easier to start with them young, a human child was easy to control if they were taken young…

But the human male was here in this time, and when she had come here and touch the mind of his female now grown, she knew she had to maintain contact and find a way to stop Sosai…

She was about a line herself with Sosai's enemies her thoughts were broken by a voice in her chamber…

"Sosai A." The Count said as she came out of her thoughts. "You sent for me." He said as he bowed.

"Yes Count Egobossler…you have a _slight_ change in your orders, you are not to kill the Science Ninja Team at this point in time."

"But my orders from Sosai-"He floundered as she interrupted him.

"Sosai has decided not to kill them just yet…you may carry out the rest of your of the orders as he instructed now…you are dismissed." She told him abruptly, she hated the man and would be well rid of him, but all in good time she figured. The more he failed the shorted time he had left with Galactor.

Once the Count had left another person entered the room.

88888888

The four Ninja's stood in the old airplane graveyard looking at the old Black Hawk chopper in front of them in their birdstyles.

"She looks _great_ doesn't she!" Ryu said proudly as he walked over to the black military helicopter.

"_She?_" The Condor asked looking at the Owl with a raised eyebrow.

"She's called the 'Black Hawk'." Ryu announced like he was introducing them to the girl of his dreams, and then he pointed to the shadow of a white bird painted on the side with G-5 next to it. "Painted that on her myself yesterday." He smiled happily to them all.

"How original." The Condor replied with a little sarcasm. "Did you and Kamo pull that name out of hat?" he quizzed as they all walked up to it.

"Don't be so hard on him Joe…at least it is something." Jun tried to lighten the moment as she gave Joe a side long look and smiled.

" It looks like the white shadow… Nice picture Ryu."Jun complimented him as she took a closer look at it.

Up until this point Ken had said not a word as he stared at the old chopper.

They had not used these choppers in at least 50 years from his knowledge, they were mainly used to transport troops and they had lighter weaponry. Fortunately Kamo had modified it for them.

"We work with what we have." He announced to them as he joined Ryu looking inside the chopper, it was big enough that was for sure, the seats that would have been there for troops were now gone, giving them more room inside. He noticed new seats closer to the front for them.

Ken remembered learning about them at the academy and all the problems they had with them before they were replaced with much better models.

"Is 'Beggars can't be choosers' the motto of the Science Ninja team these days." Joe had finally joined them after checking out the missiles that Ryu had told them about.

If Jinpei was there with them he would have already been inside excited at the prospect of taking on Galactor. "Aniki…Onechan…This is soooo cool!" He would have said excitedly and jumped in.

Ken felt the pang of his absence in his heart as he almost glimpsed of the 'Mighty Swallow's' ghost looking at him in his birdstyle from the platform of the chopper instead Jun was looking at him with a knowing sad smile from the other side of the platform.

Ken looked away to rearrange his features to hide the sudden void he felt in the team from the absence of the youngest member, he missed so much.

When Ken looked behind him, for a moment Dr.Nambu's ghost who stood there looking at him. "I pray for your success." He said and Ken nodded as if to acknowledge his old mentor.

"_Roger."_ He said without thinking, and he turned to see the other three with knowing glances as they all said it in unison "_Roger"_ with their hands to their hearts as they all got on board the Black Hawke chopper to begin the mission.

"Hey."Ryu announced excited. "They have a CD player in here…wonder what they were playing last he said as he hit the play button and turned up the volume.

_Prison gates won't open up for me,On these hands and knees I'm crawlin'  
Oh, I reach for you…_

"Isn't that Nickleback?" Joe asked for his seat at the back of the noisy chopper.

"Yeah…"Ryu responded.."It's an oldie…called _Savin' me_ I think. "He called out over the nose of the chopper blades as he cranked up the volume.

Ken just listened as he concentrated on his plan for when they reached the base. He hoped they would be surprising Galactor.

_Well I'm terrified of these four walls, these iron bars can't hold my soul in  
All I need is you… Come please I'm callin' _

He looked out over the landscape to get bearings on the ground that he had covered over the past week to make sure they were not missing important details; he looked momentarily behind him to see Joe and Jun on opposite sides of the chopper looking out of the open doors observing the ground below.

Good he observed, they were all on full alert."Stay frosty," Ken called out to the Swan and the Condor.

888888888

For young children amusement parks were always fun, and for Sammie Pandora it was no exception. The sun was warm and bright and she was wearing her favourite blue sun dress and white sandals with little blue flowers on them, and her long pale blond hair was pulled up in piggy tails.

The sounds of people screaming on the roller coaster and the smell of fairy floss (as it was known in Utoland) which she a big sticky pink spool of in her hand…pale pink, like cotton candy on a stick, and she knew it was Jun's favourite colour…and the smell of hot dogs in the air made Sammie all the more excited at the day out she was having with her mother.

Her mother had had some strange conversations with some of the vendors in the park, but Sammie didn't care, all she wanted to do was go on the Ferris wheel with her mother.

Sammie waited patiently for her mother to finish talking with the man at the funny clowns stand, she looked at the cute white teddy bear with a blue bow around its neck that was under her arm, that she had just won from him and smiled at her new friend.

"Smile Honeybee." She said to her new bear as she looked around her at the rides she wanted to go on, Jun would like that name she thought.

She sighed as she was becoming bored, and she looked over at the beautiful old world Merry –go-round in the middle of the Park.

"Sssssammie." Her friend's voice spoke to her.

"Sosai?" she asked excited to have him here with her.

"Go to the Merry –go-round… I will meet you there and we will go for a ride together."

She looked hesitantly at her mother who was still talking to the vendor, she never was far from her side, but mummy would spot her at the Merry-go-round she figured.

"Sure. "She said to him.

Maybe if she could prove that he was real, her mother would not say that she was making it all up. She thought as she walked over to the Merry–go-round…

8888888888

"Well Ryu that looks like our mountain." Ken told him pointing to the large craved face.

Ryu nodded and turned the chopper to come in closer while Ken walked out the back of the chopper to join Joe and Jun.

He went over the plan with them again.

"Ryu will stay with chopper and pick us up." Ken instructed as they both listened intently. He could hear Ryu's frustrated sigh as he mumbled something to himself about being left behind all the time, Ken chose to ignore it.

"We look for information that could lead us to their main base, Jun sets the charges, and we have limited time to do the job and get outta there…" Ken looked into both of their faces; he wanted them to come out alive and not to take to many chances.

"We got it Ken." Joe nodded as he got ready to jump.

"I got the charges Ken, I can do it." She told him seriously.

"I _know_ you can." He acknowledged. "Right…lets go" He called out over the noise of the chopper as Ryu brought them in close for the jump.

The Eagle went first, and was followed by the Condor and the Swan as they linked hands for the free fall to the mouth off the face.

88888888888

Sammie looked around her to see if maybe Sosai would recognize her.

"Sssammie." He voice came into her mind again. "I'm over here…" Sammie looked up to see a clown over near on of the bigger buildings looking at her, and he waved and did a little jig for her.

She put her hand to her mouth and giggled, he was a clown! She thought.

He began to walk away and she almost followed him, but her mother did not like her talking to strangers and she didn't want to go from her sight or she would get mad at her.

"I am your friend Sssammie…we are not strangers you and I…I want to show you something special…we will be back before you mother knows you have been gone." Sosai told her in a gentle friendly voice.

"Well O.K…" Sammie told him out loud. He would not hurt her, he was her friend just like Jun and Joe, Ryu and Ken were.

Sammie remembered she had asked if Joe, Ryu and Ken wanted to come today with her. But they were all busy…

So Sammie followed the clown into the building and she ran to try and keep up with him…

8888888888

With stealth the three birds made their way into the cave. "Haven't they done this before?" Joe quietly said to Ken as they moved along quietly looking for goons.

"Yeah,_remember _that face in the cliff that that girl was working on…" Ken noted what Joe was indicating here, as they found what looked to be an entrance. But then Galactor were never very good at being original even the layout of bases were predictable.

He looked at Jun who produced a Yo- yo bomb. "Step out of the way." She told them as she set the charge, and they all huddled together behind a rock face as she detonated the bomb.

"I'll go first." Ken told the other two as they followed behind him.

The area that Jun had opened up was still smoldering and blackened, but his gloves were heat resistance so Ken lowered himself in porthole that Jun had opened for them and he held himself suspended for a moment as he surveyed the area, there were no goons in site as he dropped to the floor in a crouched stance with his cape swept around in front of him, and he slowly came to his full height as the other two flew in behind him.

This seemed too easy he thought as they began to move through the base, his gut instincts were screaming out to him that something was amiss…

8888888888

Sammie stopped running in a large room the pavilion, she looked around at the mirrors that made you look tall or skinny or fat.

The clown had disappeared!

She began to panic as she wondered now if she should have told her mummy were she was going, maybe she would have come with her to meet Sosai she thought as tears began to roll down her cheeks.

She walked through the maze trying to find her way out, crying the whole time.

She had lost Honeybee, and her fairy floss, she was tired and lonely…and very frightened…

"Mummy…" she sobbed as she shrank against a wall.

"Don't cry Sssammie…" Sosai said in her mind.

"Go away!" she cried out in tears, and she tried to block him out as she put her head into her arms and her hands over her ears, and the sobbing became louder, she was so frightened.

_Teach me wrong from right…_

Then she felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up into the face of the clown, the clown smiled as he put a handkerchief over her mouth that smelled of something unpleasant.

She struggled only for moments." Nooo." She cried out in hysterics…"_Mummy_…" her cries were muffled, and were heard by no one. When the child stopped struggling and the clown took of his wig. Another man in a green uniform stepped out of the shadows.

_All I need is you, Come please I'm callin'  
_

"Count Egobossler will be please with you Greg." The goon said as Greg carried the child to the small chopper that was waiting to take her to Sosai X.

"Friggin clown suit was worth it after all, I'm finally gonna get that promotion." Greg's gruff voice told his companion.

_Is it worth savin' me…?_

8888888888

They still had not seen any goons as they entered a room full of computers. Jun quickly laid the explosives under the main frames and set the times. "We have 15 minutes," she announced quietly.

Then Jun immediately went over to a terminal and began to download data, the Condor and the Eagle kept watch for any trouble as the Swan combed through the information.

"That's odd." She mused as a troubled look crossed her face.

"What is it Jun." Ken came over and looked over her shoulder at the screen.

"There is nothing here but old codes and outdated data." She looked up at him still troubled by it.

"Let's get outta here." Ken announced in a hurry to them as he swirled around to face Joe. "This is a trap!"

That's when they heard and evil laugh, and spot lights went on as the walls moved back to reveal a much larger room with several levels up.

"You walked straight into our trap…Condor…Well what have we here…"The surprised voice of the blue face man at the top balcony called out as he stared at him.

"Surprised, Count Egobossler…Gatchaman…the white shadow is back!" The Eagle called back as the three of them looked around, at least 100 goons that had piled into the room with guns on them.

Before Ken could act Joe's harsh voice called out to Egobossler as the Condor leap up onto the railing as he took the feather shrunkien from his teeth and hurled it at the Count as he pulled out his cable gun, the goons fell onto Ken and Jun as they began to fight back.

8888888888

"_Sammie!_" Dr.Pandora voice cried out as she walked around the area trying to spot her daughter.

She had asked her to stay close by as she talked to the man, and Sammie was always a good girl, she was never one to wonder away on her own, up until now.

"Sammie, darling were _are_ you?" Pandora called out again. Panic was stetting in badly and she had been looking for her for at least half an hour, she was panicked from the moment she first turned around and Sammie was not there.

But then she remembered that she had promised to take her on the Ferris wheel and she thought she may have become impatient and gone over there on her own.

_Come please I'm callin' I'm falling…  
_

It was on the other side of the park, and a good walk so she had headed over there trying to suppress the rising worry from her stomach so she could think straight, she was so sure she would find her there; Sammie could be very independent sometimes.

But Sammie was nowhere to be seen.

Tears of hysteria and frustration were coming to Pandora's eyes and her heart was pounding as she looked around her for her daughter, and then she spotted a security guard.

"Sir." She called out. "Sir." She ran up to him.

"My little girl is lost; _please_ can you help me find her." Dr.Pandora pleaded with him.

"Sure Miss." The chubby man said as he assessed the situation, he was used to lost children in the park. "She would likely be taken to the lost children's office, lets go there, she's probably waiting for you." He tried to reassure her.

Pandora nodded and they headed in the direction that he indicated.

888888888

The Condor was fighting the goons on the upper levels and Ken shouted at him to go after Egobossler who had just fled through one of the doors.

Jun had taken down about thirty goons on her own, she leveled her yo-yo into a group that were coming up behind her, the explosion sending them scattering, Ken used his birdrang to take down one that was coming at her from her left.

She then looked up to see how Joe was going, he was just moving through the door that Ego had fled from, and Ken indicated for her to join him and go after Ego. He would finish the ones on the ground, who were now fleeing anyway.

"Aim for their bracelets." Ken heard as Jun leaped up.

It was then that it happened.

_Heaven's gates won't open up for me, with these broken wings I'm fallin' and oh I scream for you…_

The Swan was swinging around a pipe on her way to the upper floors when a laser beam hit her arm, her communicator fell off and he could see her de-transmuting.

The laser threw her off balance and she lost her grip on the pipe, Joe had already gone out through the doors and didn't see her falling to the floor from the upper levels.

Ken reached out to catch her, and he caught her just in time, they were thrown of balance by an explosion near by and Jun flew out of his arms she scurried to try and find her communicator.

Ken went after her to try and cover her with his wings so she could not be seen, but Jun was still ahead of him as she tried to look for it on the ground.

"Ken the charges!" She told him when he finally managed to cover her with his wings.

"You're right we have to get outta here." He insisted, as she was about to protest, about her missing bracelet

"O.K." She looked around again. "But my communicator!" He could see the worry on her face, and he was worried too, but he tried to surpass it.

"Ken you are letting your feelings show more now." She told him as they looked around.

" What?" He replied not concentrating on what she just indicted. It was know were to be seen, and they heard something loud come from the door above them.

"Jun put your arm around my neck, Joe needs us." She nodded, and quickly did as he asked, he them spread out his mantle and leapt with her to the upper levels floor by floor as some troops opened fire on them.

As much as it pained the both of them they would have to come back for her communicator if they could.

They didn't see the Devilstar that got a good look at Jun standing in a doorway holding Jun's communicator in her hand; a cold sly smile came to the woman's face as she watched the two birds leap together up to the third level.

"Well, well, well if it isn't that little bitch Madame Honeydew." Sherrie muttered sarcastically. She danced at the same night club and had hated how Madame Honeydew was more popular than she was, getting more tips and offers than she did.

Well she had her now Cherrie figured a she toyed with the Swan's communicator and headed back to report to Count Egobossler that it was not all a complete failure after all…

8888888888

Dr. Pandora sat in the police station, she never felt so lonely or so afraid in her life.

Her husband was dead and her daughter was missing, and the Science Ninja Team was on a mission.

She could not contact the team, so she closed her eyes for a moment and all she could see was Sammie playing with her dolls and laughing ay some funny story she had told her.

The trouble was that Galactor had control of city; she knew she was dealing with Galactor agents and the hospital had not been any better, they were everywhere.

"I'm so sorry Mrs Pandora." A female detective said in a sympatric voice as she came over and sat down next to her. "We will keep looking for your little girl, please go home and we will contact you if we find something." The woman gave her a kind smile and put a reassuring hand on the distressed doctor's arm.

Dr.Pandora stood up, she was still shaking as she held her arms close to her body, and she nodded and decided it might be the best course of action. The Science Ninja Team could help her far more than these Galactor agents would.

"I'll be fine." She told the detective and turned around and left the building.

The detective was indeed a Galactor agent, she began to follow Pandora to establish were she was living. It was likely that she was part of the Resistance since the child had been a target, from Count Egobossler himself.

She had orders to investigate but not act until she was given direction from Count Egobossler.

88888888888

"He's gone!" Joe let out frustrated breath as he turned to Ken and Jun.

"Jun what happened.!" The Condor immediately ran over to her.

"I'm alright Joe, my communicator got hit and I lost it." She bowed her head in shame.

"We'll find it." He reassured her picking up her chin with his finger to look in her eyes.

Then they heard an explosion from below and the whole place shook and began to fall apart around them.

"We won't now, lets get outta here." Ken ordered as both the Eagle and the Condor covered the Swan as the called Ryu for pick up.

They stepped out of the mouth of the face and onto the ledge as several goons came up behind them.

Ryu showed up just in time as they watched the blades of the chopper rise up from below them.

The gun fire made him lurch away from them, so they leapt for the ledge with Jun between them as the both held onto her arms as the Condor and the Eagle clung to edge of the open doorway with the Swan suspended in mid air as Ryu turned the chopper around.

"I'll climb up first, then Joe you help Jun reach up and I'll pull her in." Ken looked at them the made his way inside the chopper holding Jun's arm so she could grab a hold of the ledge, when he leaned over the edge he could see Jun pulling herself up and looking up at him as he grabbed hold of her arm to pull her in.

Joe gave her a reassuring smile and Ken began to pull her up.

"Hold on!" Ryu called out as Ken was about to pull her in, the chopper did a steep dive as they avoided a missile, Ken didn't think a dive like that was possible in one of these choppers, but then Ryu proved you could a number of moves in the God Phoenix that the engineers thought were impossible.

He grabbed Jun and almost lost hold of her as the chopper lurked sideways as Joe tried to push her in against the forces of the dive and the driving wind that didn't help them much, and the speed they were flying at.

They both looked at Joe who was preparing to pull himself up now that Jun was in the chopper, Ken and Jun crouched beside the open door and waited for him.

Joe had was on board in moments. "What _was _that missile all about Ryu." The three of them rushed up to front of the chopper as Joe automatically got his finger ready on the "Red button" that Kamo had installed especially for him.

That's when they spotted the mecha.

"They fire _missiles_ now. Not laser beams!" Ken quizzed as they got ready to fight back. Jun strapped herself into a Gunners seat in the chopper as she took a machine gun in her hands and aimed, and Ken took his position up front with Ryu, Joe stood there waiting to fire on the mecha.

"Steady Ryu." The gunner instructed as Ryu levelled out.

Ken took a good look at the mecha, it was only small so they had a chance of Joe got a direct hit.

"Jun, check for more of them" Ken instructed, but he could see she was already doing that as she positioned the gun…good girl! He thought.

"_Roger._" She called out and looked back out the side window lining up her target, he noticed a yo-yo ready to go as well.

Joe hit the red button, and they all held their breath as it hit the target, Joe's missile was spot on, and the mecha exploded into a million pieces.

"Ken." Joes spoke with certain amount of uncertainly in his voice, this was not Joe after a hit like that.

"I know Joe…it was all too easy." Ken replied with the weight of what he was thinking coming through his voice.

They all sat in heavy silence for a moment the Condor still standing as Jun reported the radar was all clear.

"Lets head back, maybe we can suss it out at the club tonight, and they wanted us out of the way for something." Ken said as he looked back at Joe and Jun and then at Ryu.

888888888888

They all walked into the hideout, they were all temporarily lost in their thoughts about what it was that Galactor was up to.

"Well they know Gatchaman is back now." Jun offered trying to lighten the mood and maybe her own, she still reeling over losing her bracelet Ken could tell. He knew the feeling, he had lost his once before on a mission and he had to find a way to get it back.

Dr.Pandora was sitting on couch looking like a ghost with red swollen eyes when they all came down the stairs.

Jun ran over to her and crouched down to look into her face.

"Sammie's_gone_." And Pandora fell into Jun's arms sobbing as she Jun tried to settle her down to try and stop her from hyperventilating.

They all crowded around her as Ken, Joe, Ryu and Jun exchanged worried glances.

It took a while for her to calm down enough to tell them what had happened that day, how Sammie just vanished while she made contact with a Resistance worker who had information for them.

"I'm such a bad mother." Pandora sobbed as she tried to keep her calm.

"No your not." Ken told her before anyone else could respond. "We'll look for her, Joe get the Lone Gunmen online ASAP, they may have something for us, and they can tap into police channels to find information."

It was pouring out of him despite how tired he was, but they had to find Sammie.

8888888888

Count Egobossler looked at the unconscious child, she was a pretty little thing. Give her a few years to mature and she would be good for something, he figured.

She was still out cold so he picked her up to take her in to meet Sosai X.

He walked into his Leader and put her down on the floor.

"Very good Count Egobossler." Sosai X hissed, for once he was actually please with him.

"Are the Science Ninja Team dead?" He hissed.

"Well not quite…" Ego started hesitantly since he failed again."Your orders…ahh were confusing…"Ego decide to stop before he responsible for a domestic with Mrs X, it was not wise to have them both on his back.

"What do you mean Egobossler? "Sosai's voice was dangerous now and he sent out a though wave to show Ego he was not pleased.

It took Ego a moment to recover. "They ahhh destroyed the mecha s well…" Before Sosai could hit him again Ego threw in excitedly. "But we have the identity of one of them!"Count Egobossler was still lost on why his mecha was destroyed by only one missile from the Black Hawke chopper. It was pure Luck he was not on board it at the time.

"Good...which one?" Sosai hissed.

"The Swan…we will bring her in tonight for questioning. I will locate the others after that…then I will bring them all here for you to dispose of personally sire" Ego was back peddling now to regain his standing with Sosai.

Ego was hesitant for a moment. "What isss it Egobossler.." Sosai X hissed.

"Well sire…Gatchaman is back…he was at the base with them." Ego reported.

"Well…well…you target him too then you _fool_…I want them all dead do you hear…" Sosai hissed irritated this fool had to go

"You have one more chance you moron! Get the Swan and the rest of them…_now_go!"

Sosai had work to now on Sammie, her mind was young and he could consume it since she was now in his presence, he needed her just waking up to start it.

"Now leave us and report to me _when _you have finished them off." Sosai dismissed the Count and Ego bowed as he backed away towards the door.

Sosai put all his focus on the child that was now waking up…"Sammie" he hissed lovingly "You and I are going to rule the universe… and you be know as Gel Sadra…" And he proceeded to take over her memories and make Sammie his own slave…

888888888

The chamber was silent as Akiya waited for her friend to report to her, what Akiya had asked her to do was dangerous and she feared for the life of young human girl, but Elisa was brave and wanted to help them anyway she could.

The she hear the soft footsteps enter her chamber.

"Elisa." Akiya said softly to the young woman.

"My Sosai." She addressed Akiya with a respectful bow.

"You have carried out my orders?" Akiya asked the loyal young woman gently.

Elisa looked at Akiya with a respect that was not out of fear for her life. "Sosai Akiya, I have been your servant for as long as you have been here. I know you want peace. The mecha was destroyed by the timed charges I laid inside it I will also made sure it passed in the ranks of the goons that they were to withdraw sooner…"

"The ISO would be proud of you Elisa, if only they knew…" Akiya told her proudly.

Elisa smiled gently at Akiya. "If I can bring down this evil organisation from within, and help the Science Ninja Team, then my work here will be done my lady…I need to help you escape from here…he will end your life if he finds out you are foiling his plans."

"Do not worry for me Elisa… I want Sosai to tire of Egobossler's failures…" Akiya told her confidently.

"But I do Akiya; I will do what I can…" Elisa bowed and left the room.

Elisa was a former agent of the ISO, she had taken a chance when they fell and infiltrated Galactor on her own, Akiya found the young girl not long after. She brought her information and even managed to filter what she could back to the Resistance…

Akiya wondered if the Science Ninja Team got the information in time that they were walking into a trap, since she could not reach the Eagle or the Swan.

Akiya would do what she could for Ken the Eagle, she did not know all of Sosai or the Counts plans but she would foil them were she could until she could make a good telepathic contact with Ken the Eagle, and Jun the Swan.


	10. Madame Swan

Ken looked away from the computer screen as the Lone Gunmen signed off.

Nothing.

There was nothing on Sammie anywhere, not even a missing persons report, Galactor had to be behind it.

But why would they want Sammie? Ken mused as he sat they lost in his thoughts.

Since they had found out that she was missing they had all begun to search for her, he decided that he did not want Dr.Pandora left alone in the state that she was in, so at first he asked Jun to take care of her, and then he decided to stay and look at the police reports.

Joe and Ryu had gone out into the streets to make contact with some of the people they knew from the Resistance, and Jun had just put Dr.Pandora in bed with sleeping pills so she would get some rest from the trauma she had been through that day.

Ken sat in the seat with his head in his hands trying to figure out what his next move would be when he felt a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at Jun. The raw emotions of the day and unanswered questions were wearing him down, and Jun must have seen it when she looked at him and smiled softly.

Ken got up and walked over to a wall and gently banged his head on it, Jun was not far away and he knew she worried that she would not be of use to the team without her bracelet and he turned to face her leaning on the wall.

Ken stood there leaning against the wall looking at Jun, not knowing what to say; at one time he would have reacted more harshly to a team member losing their bracelet.

He remembered how Dr.Nambu responded to them when he lost his bracelet. Then when Jun lost her shoe and how hard they all were on her, this time he knew it was not through carelessness, he witnessed the shot that cut it from her wrist, and he was wondering if he was softening up to much, maybe he was just growing as a leader.

But the thing was she supported him even when he was not being reasonable with himself, Jun stood there and gave him some reassurance that he would find it. She went over and put her hands on his arms to let him know she had faith in him.

So now he chose to return it.

"Jun…you did a good job today, you keep your head in a bad situation." He tried to tell her that. "We'll find a way to get you back into birdstyle. Would like a re-design of your uniform?" He offered it got a small laugh out of her as she walked over closer to him. She responded like she hadn't heard him.

"Ken." She started seriously. "Did you ever have an older brother?" This question was totally out of the blue, and it took him by surprise. She quizzed him with her eyes, the questioning gaze he had often seen in them when she looked at him before he was thrown into the future.

"No…I was an only child…why do ask? "Then she just dismissed what she was leading too, like it was nothing.

"Ohhh nothing really, just a thought…I...ahh… forget it. Just you always have been familiar to me." Her tone told him she no longer wanted to discuss the subject.

But he could not let it go so easily. "Wait a second Jun; you brought it for a reason." He waited for her to continue.

"You know about the imposter, but this was long before that…before I knew you…I was thinking of a time…. back when I was living in the orphanage, I met a young man once, when I used to go walking on my own as a little girl… it was around the time I met Jinpei, and you know you always reminded me of him…" her green eyes grow distant for a moment.

He just smiled, so he looked like someone from a memory she had of her childhood that was why she looked at him that way sometimes.

"I hope he was a good person…do you remember his name?" Ken asked her, it was good to talk about something other than everything that was happening around them.

"Yes, he was…Well I liked him a lot, and he shared secrets with me that I promised not to tell anyone about, I not sure why now it so long ago…" She actually smiled for a moment and so did he as the moment lightened up a touch, she changed the topic for a moment. "Well maybe one of my dance costumes could be a substitute for a new birdstyle." She offered and this got a laugh out of him. "But then Joe might not like that." She smiled as she said it.

"I might. "He said without thinking, she raised an eyebrow at that comment.

"Sorry." He threw in as an after thought.

"Don't be…Joe will get over it…eventually I hope." She sighed and she looked lost in her thoughts for a moment.

Joe, who was getting jealous about it, was not helping anyone least of all the woman he was lucky enough to have in his life.

"Jun,_I'll_ talk to Joe about it if you want me too," he offered lifting her chin with his finger and searching her eyes, he did not know what he was looking for, but something.

She looked up straight into his eyes, and he went weak at the knees at the intensity of her searching gaze, and the strong chemistry between them.

"No" She responded looking away. "It won't _do_any good; he'd just get worse about it… I'm sure we can sort it out, things have just been stressful of late that's all."

"I hope so Jun." Ken told her quietly again saying anything but what he really felt.

She was standing so close to him, so close that he could smell the jasmine in her ebony hair as he ran his fingers through it, to get her to look at him. She moved closer to him.

She was standing closer to him now with one leg up against his, his breath quickened along with his heart as the unsaid words lay between them.

She opened her mouth to speak, and closed it again.

He could see that the woman standing before him was strong; she was tough on the outside and soft at her core, she was the heart of the team. That strength was written in her eyes and she had shown it that day in battle and many times before that to him, she did what she had to do and she never complained about it.

He should have stepped away from her at that moment.

Instead he found himself pulling her in closer to him, he just embraced her, as her arms snaked around his neck and she buried her face into his neck.

"I hope we find Sammie soon Ken." She whispered.

"So do I, Jun…we will…" He tried to reassure her as he ran his fingers through her hair without even thinking and he pulled her in closer to him as her breasts crushed against his chest, and he could feel the warm tickle of her breath on his neck.

For a moment she pulled away from him enough to look into his eyes again.

"Jun." He then he remember what he had wanted to talk to her about, that voice he kept hearing…Akiya.

"Remember the other night; you said you were hearing a strange voice in your head." He didn't know quiet were this was going but maybe it was not a coincidence.

She blushed for a moment. "Ken I told you to forget it…its just craziness."

"Maybe it wasn't." he was onto something now he could feel it.

"What do you mean?" She mused as her brows knitted together for a moment.

"Her name is Akiya…" Ken searched her eyes as he could see Jun's pupil of her green eyes dilate as her breath quickened.

"How do you know?" She looked at him in amazement as her lips trembled.

"Because maybe it is _not_ just you…I hear her too." He said softly.

"I'm not going crazy…" she whispered and he could see the flood of relief wash over her face as she embraced him again, this time with tears rolling down her cheeks that soaked into his shirt.

They stood there for a while as she gradually calmed down and they drew slightly apart as Ken offered her a small smile as he looked into her eyes again. They had much to talk about regarding this mysterious person Akiya.

He was about to speak again when he heard a deep voice from the top of the stairway.

"Oh, I _see…_" Joe's hard deep voice was full of venom as he came down the stairway as his hard steely eyes threw feather shrunkien at the two of them.

Jun moved away quickly from Ken with guilt written all over both of their faces as if they had done something wrong, since it all very innocent between them.

"Joe-"Jun started to say as he put up his hand to her face, and gave Jun and Ken a Condor look that sent goons running. "Don't bother Jun,_please_ just _don't_…" Joe turned and walked away, and Ken did not miss the hurt look in his eyes.

Jun put her face in her hands. "I'm so lost...I ...can't. "She said with sobs into them.

"This is my fault Jun…I shouldn't have done that...please." He pleaded, knowing the damage he had just done, but what had he really done wrong then other than comfort a friend.

Ken went to put his hands on her shoulders, but she shook her head and walked away…"I need time to think Ken…please." She begged him, and walked out of the room leaving him standing there watching her.

Jun then ran after Joe and he could hear an argument start from the muffled sounds of the closed door of their bedroom.

He turned and thumped a fist on the wall,"_shit_." He muttered as he clenched his jaw in frustration and pressed his fiord against the wall. He didn't want to come between them.

He looked up to see Ryu with his shoulders slumped and he just looked like he felt sorry for all of them.

"Ken, I think we _all_ need time out." Ryu told him in a pained voice, and Ken nodded agreeing with his co-pilot of the Black Hawk.

"Did you find out anything Ryu?" He asked trying to ignore the sounds from behind the door.

"No boss, no one has _anything_ on her." Ryu shook his head in frustration.

Jun could handle Joe, but he hesitated for a moment, wondering if he should interfere, but then he could only make it worse for her. He vowed to pull Joe aside later that night and give him a good punch in the face for being such an idiot, and then try and talk some sense into him.

"I'm going to check out this amusement park Ryu…you look out for them tonight big guy, if you see anything that looks bad, get out of there…" He looked at Ryu who was still standing on the staircase as he walked past him he stopped and looked at him. "I think after tonight we change locations from that club." Ken headed up the rest stairs leaving the hideout.

88888888888

At Go Girls later that night…

Jun was just finishing her routine up on the stage, she down to a small G-string and as she left the pole and went into her final stance she stole a look at Joe, he just gave her a blank look back and she could not read his eyes on the darkness of the club.

She would be on one more time that night, and Joe was finishing his shift early, since it was not as busy that night and the club didn't want to pay the extra bouncers any more than they had too, Ryu wouldn't be far behind him.

But she knew he would wait for her, since Ryu would be taking another car home. It was all done to try and make it look like they were all only co-workers in the club; Joe sometimes purposely offered her a lift home to keep in with act they were all putting on here.

Jun walked into the dressing room for the second time that night, the dancers used this one before, and after their performances and she looked for her clothes. She picked up the bag and began to get dressed in her plain T-shirt and jeans.

At least Joe would be waiting for her outside; he would have been there a while now waiting and brewing she figured…Would it be another fight all the way back to the hideout she wondered.

She was lost in her thoughts about the incident that happened that afternoon, being caught by Joe in a seemly intimate moment with Ken, and Joe going wild over it and not listening to her, nothing happened, and she then tried to tell him about the voice that both she and Ken heard, but he just shut her out and stormed off in solitude.

Jun had just finished on the dance floor, and as usual she was feeling violated by the leering lustful gazes of the men who watched her. That was why she closed her eyes when she took off her clothes during a performance and tried not to make eye contact. Especially with Joe, since they had started to surveillance the night club their relationship had gone down hill dramatically.

He could be protective of her to point of smothering her, but she knew it was also because of the few conversations they had on a future together.

But then Ken came back, and her feelings were now in a state of total confusion.

Her feelings for Ken had always been strong; she had been in love with him forever it seemed, they always had a special connection, something she did not feel with Joe at times, Joe was always forward with his emotions but Joe could be hurtful in his choice of words and he often did not hear her side of things.

He was a good lover, tender at times and intense, and it was felt good to have someone hold her at night instead of the feelings of loneliness and her own thoughts that had been so overwhelming.

But Ken heard Akiya too; she was there a few months after Ken went missing around the time the war started again. Ken believed her and for the first time since Jinpei died, she felt she could really talk about it, and she needed to discuss it with Ken.

Akiya was familiar too, just that Jun couldn't put her finger on it, and Ken was good a solving mysteries like this.

But even before Ken came back there were times still when she would lay awake at night in Joe's arms thinking about Ken, and it was so unfair to Joe, how could she think like that, how could she do that to him, she did love Joe didn't she.

Since Ken walked back into her life the feeling came back strong again.

Joe saw it, and despite how much he had missed his brother and friend, she knew it was tearing him up inside. Jun knew that Joe loved her, and she loved him back in her own way, and that was what made it harder for her to tell him the truth.

Love was such a complex thing at times.

Then of course there was the topic of a future, she wanted a family and a house, Joe wanted to race for as long as he could, living in a trailer. He cringed when she told him she wanted to have children, and that hurt her, what raise them on a race track in a trailer…

Then there were the arguments that followed which he was uncompromising about planning a future together in Utoland in living in a house while she ran her own business once more.

Jun looked in the mirror above the dressing table and wiped off the heavy foundation, her eyes narrowed as she looked in the mirror at the woman who had just entered the room.

She really did not like Cherrie one bit.

"Well,_well_ if it isn't Madame Honeydew herself," Cherrie's under current of sarcasm came out in her voice and her matching smile that flashed in Jun's direction as she walked over and stood next to Jun.

Cherrie was not as popular as Jun and Cherrie and did everything to she could to try and bring Jun down. Jun returned her smile laced with enough of her own sarcasm to send a message to Sherrie.

"Well Cherrie, _maybe_ one day you'll dance well enough for them one day to give you stage name… and a poster."Jun's smile was dripping with honey.

Sherrie lost her smile fast. "I _do_ dance better than you." She whispered close to Jun's ear in a nasty tone." Watch yourself _Madame Honeydew_; you _never_know what is around the corner."

Bitch! Jun thought as Cherrie went to leave the room. She began to get her things; Joe would be waiting for her outside.

As Cherrie left and the room, Amelia walked in, she was just as bad as Cherrie and they both liked to wear red polish she noted. "Honey… the boss wants to see you." She said in a flat voice. Jun knew what that meant; he wanted her to do another Pole dance before the night was over. Since it was slow and he wanted more customers. But then maybe she could have a look around the back for Egobossler.

She looked at Amelia. "Can you tell Joe that I will be finishing later tonight." She could use the opportunity to check out the boss's office she figured.

Amelia gave her a knowing smile. "Sure Honeydew, Joe is such a hottie, what's he like in bed? Or maybe it's _my_turn…" She asked and winked as if she expected Jun to answer. Jun just looked at her and walked off, and then she stopped and looked over her shoulder. "It's none of your business Amelia. Besides I have not had the chance to find out…" Then she made her way to the boss's office.

Oscar could be a jerk at times, and when he wanted to pick up a crowd like he did tonight he often wanted another performance of his best girls to keep them coming through the doors.

Joe and Ryu's shift was over, it looked like her's was just beginning.

She opened the door and walked in, the only light that was on was the lamp in the corner. Something felt very wrong and before Jun could turn around she felt a kick knock her to the ground.

She cursed herself for not being more prepared.

Jun moved fast to defend herself against the attacker, she threw a punch in the masked woman's stomach and managed to get her in a headlock, she ripped of the mask. "Cherrie." She hissed at as the Devilstar snarled her bright red lips and dug her red long nails into Jun's arms drawing blood.

That's when Jun realized the woman was not alone, more Devilstars! She thought.

They ascended on her and Jun fought back throwing two of them together and making them unconscious, then she was thrown against a wall by one of them…the brick wall that seemed to vanish and she went flying down a stair case.

_I'm on the ledge of the eighteenth story…And oh I scream for you…please come I'm calling…  
_

88888888888

Ken had waited until almost closing time to go into the amusement Park, before that he had looked around the outskirts to see if they had missed something.

But now he had the place to himself, except for the odd security guard that was easy for him to dodge.

He walked into a building in the middle of the park, so far his search had not mounted to anything and it was getting very late. He wondered how they were going at the club; he figured he could always go back in as a customer since no one knew him.

He walked into a room full of mirrors and looked around; they could throw you off balance if you were not careful.

He was about to leave the room when he spotted something in the corner next to one of the mirrors.

Ken walked over and picked it up, it was a teddy bear, white with a blue satin bow around its neck.

"Honeybee…" He muttered at the bear. Dr.Pandora had described it to them as she told them about her last moments with Sammie.

"Where is she Honeybee?" He asked looking at the bear as if he expected it to answer him.

8888888888

_On these hands and knees I'm crawlin' _

Jun lost consciousness for a moment when she reached the bottom; she felt nausea in her stomach and giddy as she was still she lying face down. Jun struggled to get up as pain wracked her body from the fall.

Get up! She scolded herself. And she tried again only to be held down by a booted foot.

"What _do_ we have here?" A familiar mocking male voice said.

Jun kept her face to the ground as she went too reached into her pocket for her yo-yo bomb. All she had to do was throw it, and she could have a chance against them and not expose her identity.

"Looking for _this_?" Cherrie's fake sweet voice rang in her ear. She looked up enough to see Cherrie dangling her communicator before her eyes, as her hand froze before she could reach her yo-yo bomb.

How Cherrie got her bracelet, Jun did not know but the Devilstar had it all the same, and Jun had to get it back.

Jun felt real fear run through her as another booted foot came under her chin and gently lifted her face. Count Egobossler was looking down on her smiling with an evil grin.

"Madame Honeydew…where are the lovely earrings I gave you…Or should I say…More accurately, _Madame Swan,_ of the Science Ninja Team." Then he chuckled coldly as she lay frozen on the ground.

She was surrounded by at lease fifty goons form the boots that she could see, she could take them easily.

Words stuck in her throat for a moment "I'm flattered," she finally managed to say as she was forced to her feet by Cherrie. "But do think the Swan would be a pole dancer?" she questioned as she tried to make light of the situation.

She was in a base that much she could tell.

Egobossler moved in closer to her. "Don't play games with me _Swan Jun_…We know what you look like, Sammie told our leader, so there is no need for you to deny it." He purred in her ear, they had Sammie Jun thought, but the Joe and Ryu…Ken, were in danger as well and she had now way of warning them.

"Ohh Honey, you looked soooo _good_ tonight, almost good enough to eat my darling." His eyes roamed her body as he gave her a small lusty smile. "It is time for us to get _better_ acquainted, take her to the room we have prepared for her."

Jun felt a prick in her arm and the world started to swim around her as she struggled as the two Devilstars took a strong hold of her arms, Amelia and Cherrie were enjoying this she could tell.

Cherrie gripped her arm painfully hard and Jun clenched her teeth to prevent her from seeing the pain she was causing her, she felt so weak from whatever it was that Cherrie gave her.

They dragged her into a room and Jun felt her stomach tighten nausea griped her more as she looked at the equipment in the room. She fought the sensations and shot a defiant glare at Count Egobossler who seemed to take delight in her reaction.

"Now shall we talk about the location of the rest of your team…And the Resistance of course…Ohhh my _dearest _Swan?" He said in a breathy voice of anticipation. "I'm going to _enjoy_ this." And he laughed as the door slammed shut behind her.

888888888

Joe had been waiting for Jun for about an hour, he knew she was angry with him, and there had been a lot of the wrong type of tension between them of late between them, and he had hoped to rectify it.

He remembered how she reacted to him a few months before when the discussion came up of what they would do when or if ever this was all over. Jun wanted to get married, which was not so bad…but she also wanted to start a family and open another business, and she wanted to settle down in a house.

He just wanted to hit the racing circuit and get another trailer; He did see the value in getting married since he loved her and he liked kids but had no desire for any of his own.

The truth was he didn't know if he could handle a settled life for very long.

Maybe they could compromise, he buy a bigger trailer, and maybe he might like one kid in the future but he had his reservations there. But Jun did not look happy at his response, and began to fear that she would break it off after that conversation and they had begun to argue more.

He knew that Ken how ever longed for peace and a settled life, but after seeing her with Ken that afternoon, he knew it was over between them.

He loved her with an intensity that he had never felt for a woman before, but he could not hold onto a woman who did not love him back, well at least he thought that was the case. She had told him differently, she had told him that she loved him, but he had doubts that were plaguing him to the core.

She never looked at him the way she looked at Ken, and he knew she never would, so he had to find a way to let her go but how do you stop you heart from beating.

But he couldn't, he just couldn't, and he was getting desperate. This was not like him at all to not be in total control of his world.

Joe was pacing now; he had sent Ryu back to the Hideout to wait for Ken who had been checking out the Amusement Park for signs of Sammie.

That was when he had decided to wait out the front of the club, and he was about to go in and see if she was performing when Amelia walked out the main doors and gave him a surprised look.

"Have you seen Honey?" He asked he never used her real name here.

"Yes Joe I did." She answered giving him her best smile. "She left about 15 minutes ago with an other man a dark haired guy I think, he was very cute…it looks like you lucked out tonight after all…and I thought you had already left." She moved in closer to him, and ran her tongue seductively over her red lips; her blue eyes were looked up at him through her long dark lashes as she flirted with him.

He found it hard to believe Jun would just leave without him, but then she threatened to walk home on the way into the club tonight if he didn't apologize for his behaviour that afternoon. In his pride Joe did not do it, because he was still hurt and angry.

She had done this once before when they had argued but then she told Ryu that she would not travel in the car with him, then Ryu picked her up before she got too far, she was probably walking back now or with Ken.

Why had Ken not contacted him to tell him she was going back with him he did not know, it was a foolish thing to do.

"If you want, I _could_…do something special for you…Come back to my place…" She purred as she left the invitation hanging as she ran a long blood red finger nail down his cheek finishing at his lips.

"_No,_I'm not interested Amelia… "Joe said simply, he was not in the mood for this.

Amelia had tried several times since he had started as a bouncer to get him into her bed and she was not the only dancer to try it. She pouted and gave him miffed look as he turned and walked towards his car, he got in and sat in the drivers seat fumbling with the keys for a moment trying to calm himself down.

O.K he would try and apologize tonight for being so hard to get along with at the moment, his thoughts regressed for a moment as she struggled with his emotional state.

Damn it Jun! He thought, as he started up the engine.

He would tell her _never_ to do it again, when he got back to the Hideout, even if he had to wake her up to her how much he disapproved.

88888888888

Ken had continued to look around the park, it had been hours and there not one sign that there was a Galactor base hidden there, they were getting better at he thought,

So he had decided to head back, in his mind he was sorting out what he needed to say to Joe, and he was going to head out to his shack the next day to start fixing it up for him to move back there.

He was finally back and a wave of exhaustion swept over him, it had been a long day and he needed rest, so he made his way down into the hideout, he still had to talk to Joe about earlier that day, but it was well past midnight and they all needed sleep just to function.

Ken walked down the stairs with Sammie's teddy bear in his hands to see Joe leaning against the wall, and Ryu was sitting on the couch.

"I didn't find anything at the park on Sammie…I'm going back tomorrow, Joe I need you to come with me…" He stood there looking at the bear for a moment before he looked up at Joe.

"Jun's_not _with you?" Joe asked as worry crossed his grey eyes and his expression changed to sheer panic.

"Jun?" Ken questioned. "Why would she be with me?" He questioned as he tossed the bear to Ryu who caught it and sat it on the couch.

They all looked at each other, as it dawned on them; Jun was likely to have been captured by Galactor if she was not with any of them.

"Get moving, we have to go back to the club." But he hardly needed to tell Joe or Ryu.

Fatigue left him as they all bolted up the stairs.


	11. Akiya…

Chapter 11- Akiya

Ken watched as Joe walked into the front entrance of the club.

"Hey Andy, I forgot my leather jacket, have you seen it?" He heard Joe casually ask as he disappeared into the doorway.

It was in the early hours of the morning just before sunrise and Ken stole his way around the back of the building. They all knew it was risky, but he had his communicator on but it was hidden under a bandage.

For the next two hours they searched the building for any sign of her, they looked for possible entrances to a hidden base. In the past they always found an entrance if there was one.

With stealth he walked into an office, Joe and Ryu were in different parts of the building, and so far they had reported nothing out of the ordinary.

He looked at a brick feature wall and began to run his hands along it, but nothing stood out, he dashed under the desk when he heard a voice at the door.

"I don't know Oscar; I just hope things pick up tonight." A gruff voice was saying.

"Well we need a new dancer since Madame Honeydew resigned last night… I could have offered her more money to stay; she brought in the most customers." The voice that belonged to Oscar was filled with disappointment as he continued. "Harry, Galactor took a liking to my club, and now I have to do the best I can to keep it…" Oscar told the man at the door.

"They tell me even when I can use my own office!" Oscar and his friend had come into the room and they had closed the door.

Ken was hoping he would not come near the desk, but he wanted to hear what these men had to say, it may give him some clues on where to look for Jun.

"I think I outta get out of here." Oscar whispered. "Some of those new girls…well apparently Honey didn't get along with one and walked out in a huff…I want to sell up, but then I have too much debt…"

"You have all your money tied up here, and do you think Galactor will let you just walk away Oscar, they control everything in the city now, and it won't be long before they manage to take over the world…" Harry pointed out.

Oscar sighed with defeat. "Your right and I wanna be on the right side when it happens, that's why I'm joining them…"

"Too right boss!" Harry told him. Then Ken heard them both go to the door and leave, he could hear the faint voices as they walked down the hall.

It looked like Oscar and Harry had sold out to Galactor, ken figured.

It was time to catch up with Joe and Ryu, it was possible that she had been taken to another location and they needed to find it.

Jun couldn't focus on anything, but the pain her foggy mind would not focus, she had to think about something other than the way her arm sockets felt like they were on fire and how weak her body had become, and she needed to draw strength from somewhere.

Jun tried to wall it all off somehow in her mind but it lingered there still, Ken's face flashed before her eyes, and then Joe's…Ryu's goofy smile…Dr. Nambu and Jinpei….oh Jinpei, she clenched her teeth and strengthened her resolve, the Swan would not be defeated by Galactor.

She knew she was hanging from a chain that kept her feet from just touching the ground, and other shot of an electric current went through her body and she felt her muscles contract as the sudden rush of agony hit her every fibre. She couldn't hold back the scream that left her throat and it echoed through the room.

_No!_ She screamed out in her mind. She would not think of them, they wanted to know about them, and she would die before she betrayed them!

She had thought that Sammie may have described them, but from what they wanted to know, she doubted that theory now.

Jun could feel tears on her cheeks, and she had no control over them, sweat trickled down her bare back, or was it water?

"You _will_ talk soon…I'm irresistible to women you see…" Egobossler's cold evil voice came into her mind.

Jun just kept silent.

"I'm so _disappointed _in you Madame Swan; well there are other ways that might loosen your tongue." He whispered softly in her ear. Jun could feel his hot moist horrible breath on her face. Then she felt the light brush of his lips on hers and was repulsed by it to her core being.

"I think it is time we become _better_ acquainted, don't you think my dear." He snarled lustfully, letting her know his intentions with the touch of his hands on her body, and Jun felt the fear and panic rise in her again.

For a split second she pictured it in her mind, before she boldly spoke it to him. "The only way you will get between my legs is with them wrapped around your neck while I _snap_ it in half…" she managed from her raw throat, she didn't recognise her own voice, as she found some spit in her mouth and aimed it at him.

But she could not move her legs, she slowly closed her eyes, and tried to reach out to that mysterious voice, maybe this Akiya could contact Ken…

Count Egobossler just laughed at her words because he knew she was at his mercy right now. "Such _high _spirits, you know it's _just _what I like in a woman." He purred seductively in her ear.

She knew what he was going to do, it's just another form of torture…she told herself over and over as she fought to not show him her terror at what was about to happen…

Ken, Joe and Ryu stood in a vacant block not far from the club that was between tow tall buildings.

"I don't get it." Ken mused as he jammed his hands in his pockets. "We are missing something here, I know we are…"

Joe let out a frustrated breath and kicked at some dirt on the ground as he leaned against the wall of the building close to them.

"You're both working tonight." Ken's could feel his stony features as he looked at them, they were exhausted, none of them had slept in almost two days and no matter how desperate a situation was they needed some rest if they were going to help her.

Joe was fighting it, and his temper was beginning to show. "I have to find her." He muttered through clenched teeth. "Jun I need you," he whispered.

"Bro' we won't let her down." Ryu tried to reassure him; the Condor looked up at the Owl with icy grey eyes.

"_That's_ what we said when Jinpei and Dr.Nambu went missing! Now _they _are _dead_…Dead!" The Condor levelled a threatening fist at the Owl who shrank from the Condors steely gaze and clenched jaw as Joe moved towards him ready to strike him, and Joe's voice was going up octaves as he spoke to Ryu. "We have to keep searching, I don't care if _I _die just _not_ her…don't you _understand_ Ryu-"

"Enough…that's _enough _Joe, do you think you're the only one who wants to find her, the only one who…" Ken looked at them both as the words stuck in his throat and then he grabbed Joe's raised arm and slammed him against the wall.

Joe was not about to back down, and Ken was anticipating his next move." We need to _think_ right now, and we need more of a plan, we are no use to her like this." He was angry himself for not seeing that she would be in so much danger, and he had learned his lesson on losing it, the last time she went missing in the attack of the Killer flowers, depression and withdrawal was at his doorstep right now, and he was choosing not to let in and control him like it normally did when someone he loved was in danger like this.

Ken moved swiftly and put his arm up in a blocking motion in the Condors face as Joe took a swing at him deflecting the intended blow; He could see that Joe was fighting with his emotions as his facial muscles contorted with his inner rage and blazing eyes, and then Joe turned and slammed his fist into the wall instead of Ken.

Ken then walked over to his bike and got on it and waited for the other two.

Wordlessly Joe went and got into his car, his eyes were red raw and Ken could tell he losing it, but the last thing he needed right now was an out of control Condor. He'd unleash him when they really needed that kind of anger.

They headed back to the hideout, they needed a plan…they needed to find the Swan.

Dr.Pandora woke up from her long sleep feeling heavy and groggy. He auburn hair was rumpled and she realized she had slept in her clothes.

She sat up for a moment to try and get her bearings; she was in the room she shared with Sammie.

Sammie.

The harsh reality of the day before came flooding back when she looked at the neat single bed covered in dolls and teddy bears.

For a moment she let out a sob and put her hand over her mouth, she looked away quickly and stood up and left the room, she walked into the common room and looked around, no one was there.

Then she spotted the white teddy bear with a blue satin bow around its neck and she walked over and picked it up, she held it close to her, squashing it into her neck as she buried her face in the soft white fur. She wondered were they found it, and if maybe they had gone out in search of Sammie from a clue they might have found.

"I hope you find my Sammie, Science Ninja Team. "She looked at the bear with swollen eyes.

She looked up as she heard the door open from above the stairs; some hope entered her heart as she saw Ken walk down the stairs.

Ken stopped for a moment at the top of the stairs, he wondered if they gave up to soon. A wave of exhaustion washed over him and he felt like he was going to drop there and then and fall asleep.

How could he even be thinking of sleep with Jun missing.

When he reached the bottom step he realized Dr.Pandora was looking at him with hope in her eyes as she clutched the teddy bear to her.

"Have you found _anything?_" he could hear the desperation in her voice.

"No." Ken replied and shook his head. "But there is another thing…Jun's gone missing too." He informed her quietly.

"Jun…no not Jun too!" She looked at Joes, haggard and with drawn face. "When was the last time any of you got any sleep?" She asked them, her gaze turning Ryu now; right now she could see they were all running on pure adrenaline.

"Yes…Jun as well." Joe said quietly as he stared at nothing with his fists clenched as if he never heard her.

Ken walk over to him. "Go and get some rest Ken, I'll sleep here on the couch, I don't want to go in that room…" then the Condor lay down with his hands behind his head staring at the ceiling.

"I'll keep an eye out Ken." Dr.Pandora offered.

Ken just nodded and headed down the hall with Ryu behind him, his other intention on trying to sleep was that was when Akiya had usually contacted him.

This time he would try and contact her, he figured there was no time to try and convince Joe that she was real, he hoped it would work because if she was in contact with Jun too, then maybe…just maybe he thought. As he lay down on his bed…

Ken had difficulty sleeping, he knew he needed the rest but he still could not settle. His thoughts were racing as to where Jun could be, she had to be still in the city, and well that was what he hoped anyway.

But as the time passed the chances of finding her grew slimmer, he knew they had to find her soon.

He felt guilty for even trying to get a few hours rest, but Joe and Ryu needed it to for them to have the energy to fight, and think clearly.

He closed his eyes for a moment as tears of frustration fell on his cheeks; the last thing any of them wanted to see was another team member die the way Jinpei and Dr.Nambu did.

He relaxed his mind for a moment, trying to meditate so that the voice would come back; he lay there for what seemed like a long time.

Then a feminine reptilian voice came into his thoughts, it was Akiya.

"Ken the Eagle." She formally addressed him.

"Akiya…Jun's gone." He blurted out, he needed answers fast.

"Where have you been?" She demanded.

"Looking for Jun…do you know where she is?"

"I do, but I don't…you once told me to tell you…the door is an illusion, a wall that was not a wall… It had to do with your mate." Akiya mused. "Interesting riddle..."

He did? He gave her a clue, Ken wondered when that was, and he didn't remember it.

She said she could tell how to find Jun, but it was like a riddle. She was behind the wall that was not a wall?

But where could that be, he wondered. He had tried to find this wall in places that he had searched at the club.

Akiya finally spoke to him again. "Ken the Eagle; you know how to find me? That is odd for your kind; normally I am the only one able to make a connection." Her voice had a curious but still aloft tone to it.

"I'm not sure how I did it." He answered honestly to her. "I need you to help me find Jun, what you told me before makes no sense. " He knew he was repeating himself but he had no time for long discussions on theory.

He thought he could almost hear her sigh.

"I thought since in your mind you knew the place I was talking about, you would find the door. You have no time to waste if you want to find your mate." She scolded him." She has been in my mind; she is in a lot of pain."

Jun…what are they doing to her, he wondered. He knew deep inside him, and it stabbed at his heart.

He sat up a little too quickly as the realization hit him. "The club! They have her in the club, she has to be there." He said out loud.

"That is what you call such a place; we have no need for such things in mating." She replied in a soft voice. "Your mate calls for you in her mind, and sometimes the other male…but she also called to me, I normally can only touch a mind that has first been in my presence, but then she briefly had I suppose a long time ago…I cannot explain why I made contact with her like this. I think it could be her connection to you, Ken the Eagle." Akiya was mulling in her thoughts, and she was off on some kind of tandem.

"Akiya, come back to me for a moment…please." He demanded he was getting a bit anxious now.

But he had not ever been in her presence, though maybe he had and didn't know about it since he could not identify her. He thought.

"Sooo this isss what you have been up to my darling mate…you will pay for your betrayal." Another colder male distant voice came into his mind.

"You have no power over me anymore…you murder." She declared and Ken could feel the venom in her voice. "You and I are at war…my former mate…" The he felt something that was like a wall go up in his mind and she was gone.

He woke up only a few moments later to find Joe standing over him dressed in his civilian uniform.

I can't sit here and wait Ken." Joe looked worse than he did before.

"Neither can I Joe. We're going back to the club, she has to be there." Ken told him sitting up slowly as Joe just stood there with a haunted expression on his face.

"Ken I'm a stubborn idiot, I should have realized she was worth more to me than a rack track… I need her to know that…that she is everything to me. I never apologised to her for anything I accused her of over the past few months…I was so busy thinking of myself and my own needs…" Joe poured out his heart in that minute as Ken listened to him. "I…I…should have trusted her more, and now I'm paying for it…" he finished then he looked at Ken with pain filled eyes.

"I'm not going back to that club, she's not there Ken…Egobossler never keeps his prisoners in the same place…but when I find him…" Joe's voice had gone hard again now.

"Joe, we know she's in trouble and he's hurting her I know it, I have heard the same voice as she did… but we have to stick together." Ken tried to explain quickly, but as soon as he mentioned the voice he knew he had lost Joe.

"Have you started to fill her head again with that? Do you know what it was doing to her…do you have any idea of the pain she was going through?" Joe demanded as he pointed a fist at Ken.

"Joe-"Ken tried to reason with his second in command.

"Egobossler is in the city that much we know and I'm going to find that bastard and wring it outta him…if he has hurt her in any way…" Joe let it trail, but Ken got the meaning and he didn't object to Count Egobossler being killed.

Ken looked to the door and Ryu stood there in uniform, staring at them, "then take Ryu with you…" Ken indicated.

Joe just walked out the door and Ryu made eye contact briefly with Ken. "Keep in touch." Was all Ken told him, Ryu nodded and followed Joe.

Cherrie stood at the doorway of the small room looking at her Leader.

He was smiling and looking very pleased with himself, as he watched his unconscious female prisoner.

"Ah Cherrie…you have my escort ready, I'll report directly to Sosai X from the base just outside of Utoland, the transmission is always better from that base…" He told her politely.

"Start the culling of the Resistance hideouts, send in goons into the identified locations, I want them gone by the end of lunch time today. Begin _Operation fallout._" He ordered as they made their way out the secret passage to the waiting car and van escort in the alley way that was a few blocks from the club.

He stopped in the corridor to look at her to make sure she understood his instructions.

"Yes sire." She answered as she turned and went to back up the corridor to carry out the order.

Joe Asakura walked stealthily up to the waiting van, he knew that if this was Count Egobossler's escort that Cole had just told him about than he needed a goon's uniform.

He was glad he thought to change into his numbered uniform before he left the hideout; he was going to need his birdstyle on this one. That was when he spotted Ryu trying to sneak up as well.

Ryu was never very good at sneaking up quietly, and he was making a racket as far as the Condor was concerned.

"Ryu!" he called out to him in a loud whisper, enough to get his attention.

Joe caught his eye and indicated at the two guards that were his target, Ryu got the idea and in a flash the men were unconscious and then dragged behind a set of garbage bins.

Lucky one was a rather large man.

"Ken could be onto something you know." Ryu whispered as they stripped the goons of their uniforms.

"Ken has his theories, I bet Count Egobossler knows were she is...why has it taken us so long to work all this out…to find his escort." Joe was never more determined in whole life to kill someone, and get revenge against Galactor, and he was in no mood for Ken's flimsy ideas.

She was not here; he had searched the place thoroughly when the went back when they realized she was missing.

"Are you coming with me or what…" Joe asked it was more like an order to the Owl.

"This is not like you Joe; you always listened to Ken when it came to his hunches…he thinks that voice Jun heard-" Ryu tried to reason with him, well not quite always, but Ryu figured he was close to the mark.

Joe shot him a look that shut the Owl up, he had almost had one run in today with Condor and that was enough for him. He could tell Joe was not listening to reason right now.

They quickly returned to the post just in time for Count Egobossler to get into the waiting car and they stole their way into the back of the escort van.

"Well at least contact Ken, and tell him we are following him." Ryu whispered…


	12. Elisa

Chapter 12- Elisa

Ken was on the outskirts of the city on his motorbike when he noticed the van coming up close behind him.

The wind was strong and it moved slightly to the side of the road as the gust blew past it, there was nothing unusual about the van really, just that it was the only vehicle on the road besides him, and was more vulnerable on a motor bike.

He noticed the female driver as the van went to overtake him, but as it came up beside him she slowed down and looked over at him, and then she signaled for him to pull over.

Ken was curious, but he was not stupid, this woman could be a Galactor Devilstar after all.

So he picked up his speed on the bike, and so did she with the van, he made a quick glance at the side of the dull grey van…"_Spotless Cleaning Company,_" she was keeping up with him and she looked to be getting annoyed with him as she veered in closer to him. Now this could be useful he thought, as he glanced back at the writing on the van again.

Ken decided he would have a talk with person but on his terms, so he deliberately dropped back fast and jumped onto the back of the van, his motor bike wobbled and then crashed into a tree on the side of the road and burst into flames, perfect he thought as he clung to the back of the van.

The driver of the van must have noticed because she slowed right down and began to pull over; it was just what he wanted her do. She would think that he died in the explosion or that he was badly hurt, so as the van pulled over to the side of the road he pulled out his birdrang and he made his way around the passenger side of the van. He heard the driver's door open.

Well, he thought, if she turns out to be a Devilstar than the van would be a good cover. He could make it look like he was there to clean the club anyway, and he was thinking a good cover would give him better access to the club.

He listened to the light footsteps that made their way to the back of the van and then looked as she came into view. She began to walk back in the direction of his bike. He could hear her cursing under her breath, that's when he made his move and swiftly he had the tip of his birdrang poised at her neck as he gripped her arms behind her back.

He could feel the tension of her body as she went rigid in his rough embrace.

"That's not nice language for a lady." He snarled in her ear as he tightened his grip on her arms.

"Let…me… go…I'm …on …your…side…" She coarsely said between breaths as she tried to get out of his tight grip, he could feel the tension run through her body.

"Who are you?" He demanded, he had no time for this and he needed to get to his destination, but he didn't needed Devilstars on his tale either.

She began to speak quickly. "My name is Elisa, and I'm here to help you Ken."

She knew who he was, but Ken would not be taken that easily, this still could be a trap by Galactor.

"You have the wrong person…I should take you back to the Galactor base…Devilstar, they punish the likes of you for insubordination, "he baited her, as he worked to get more information out of her.

"Then if you're a Galactor, then you are my enemy." She spat at him and from the angle he was at he could see her and bare her teeth in her frustration.

That was when she showed her real metal, she hooked his leg bringing him to the ground, but Ken could move faster and leveled a short punch to her stomach as she blocked it and she moved delivering a kick that was well aimed into his groin. The skirmish was short, but her actions answered his question, she was not a Devilstar.

"Now will you listen to me…I'm not a Devilstar," he could hear the anger in her voice. "We are wasting precious time with this bullshit, Gatchaman!"

Ken gingerly stood up, that hurt but he could he take it and he chose to ignore her calling him Gatchaman. "So give me a reason to trust you _Elisa…_"He started slowly.

"Alright…but you move so fast and quiet…It was lucky for me that you had doubts…" she was calming down a bit now and realized he had frightened her more than anything.

"As I said I'm Elisa…I know your Ken the Eagle, Akiya told me to find you, and that was not easy to do I might add." she frowned as she looked him directly in the eye.

" She got a general idea from her last contact with you…well before _he_ found out her plans, now she needs me more than ever…she in a lot of danger, and she is on our side and right now risking her life for the Resistance so give her some respect..." She finished with an expression of concern in her eyes.

"And?" Ken questioned, still working his mind through the information she had just given him.

"And…"she added. "What will it take for you to trust me?"

For a moment Ken studied this young girl, she was very pretty with soft chestnut brown hair that fell just below her shoulders, he light blue eyes stood out against her light olive skin, she was tall, almost his height, but slender with feminine curves that were well in proportion. She was dressed in faded blue jeans with a chambray shirt and casual white sneakers. There was something familiar about her, but he just could not pick it.

She carried an air of determination, and she was challenging him with her soft light blue eyes, and Ken figured she didn't even know she was doing it.

"Galactor killed my Uncle, so why would I work for them…I was an ISO agent once…well at least in training to be one…"she threw in. "But we don't have time to go into my life story, we can talk more on the way in."

Ken nodded, and got into the drivers side of the van, she stood at the door and waited for him to move over. "What do you think you are doing?" She asked as her brows knitted together in annoyance.

"What do you think?" He quizzed her back as he started up the engine, he was going to be in control of where they were going, not her.

"No one drives _my _van but _me_." She stated, as he refused to move over.

"Well I am now, so get in…"He ordered.

She grunted as she walked around the front and got into the passenger side of the van as Ken went to pull away from the side of the road as she swiftly jumped into the passenger seat.

They were silent for a few minutes, and it was Elisa who broke the silence between them.

"I would have been on the team if my uncle hadn't died…"she said whistfuly and she shifted in her seat to look at him. "Well …maybe I could have been but he kept saying _no_."

Elisa had a distant look in eyes as he caught her almost desperate blue eyes for a moment, the expression only lasted a moment before her eyes changed to a mask she seemed accustomed to before she continued. " I _was_ trying to talk him into putting me on the team instead of the other agent he was considering to replace you. But he said that he would worry too much since I was his _only _niece…and I guess he was on speaking terms again with my mother again…he has a thing about being related…" She said quietly as she stared out the front of window of the van looking into the distance. "I didn't understand it since I bet it was the team he had wanted me for when I was a child…"

"Who was your uncle?" Ken was very interested in this piece of information now, and what she knew about the Science Ninja Team.

"Dr. Nambu…I…well he and my mother had a falling out when I was very young, and she didn't want to have much to do with him because she was so angry with him. But I used to seek over to his house and see him anyway and he used to show me martial arts moves…apparently he had wanted me for a project…but my mother said no…Then she decided to move away to make sure he could not talk her into it, at the time I didn't know what the argument was all about." She sighed as her voice trailed off and she went silent again.

So that explains it! Ken thought. The little girl in the picture that Dr.Nambu had on shelf in the living room of the mansion, Ken remember Joe picking it one day and commenting on her pretty eyes. Dr.Nambu had just smiled as Joe put the picture down Ken had just glanced at it and then went onto something else he was doing at the time, now he remembered her and those eyes.

"So do you have a plan?" She asked him.

"Yeah, pretend to be a cleaner and we look for a hidden door. My gut feeling is the boss's office." He said as if it was obvious to all present.

"I'll go with that one…"She agreed. "So Galactor has the Swan, "She said more to herself.

"Where _are_ the Condor and the Owl?" She was looking at him now.

"They have other places to be, they have assignments." Was all he offered.

"The Swan…she is an explosives expert right, and the Condor is a good marksman, so the Owl is a little displaced without a warship to fly…"She mused more to herself again.

"Yeah, you pretty much got it right, so what is your area of expertise." Ken glanced over at her again and this time he caught her eye.

"I'm an automotive engineer…I worked on the G-2 to get more power out of it's engine when it was redesigned a few years ago…Before we began to really lose this war…I bet the Condor didn't know that I also got to test drive it before he got his hands on it." She grinned at that thought, like she was having a private joke on the Condor.

That made Ken smile, Joe wanted to be the only one who drove the G-2… ever. Ken remembered Joe having "words" with the Chief Engineer when Joe found out one of the junior engineers had apparently taken it for a test drive, but as far as Ken knew he didn't catch up with the young engineer who took it for the test run because they got called out on a mission.

"Akiya doesn't like the Condor very much." She stated.

"Why not?" Ken asked her, Joe could rub people the wrong way some times. But Akiya did seem to have it in for him.

"Because he told the Swan _not_ to listen to her, and that she was figment of her imagination from what I could tell. That is the best way to get Akiya's feathers ruffled…I suppose she's just upset that he interfered in her efforts to reach out to her and let her know that you were alive. She thinks he deceived her to make her his girl…Akiya just wanted to help you I guess." Elisa casually told him.

"Well maybe Akiya had it all wrong…the Swan can choose for herself you know and I did disappear for four years…We were never meant to be…"he abruptly blurted out and to cover it he asked a her a question. "Who is Akiya? "

He could feel his insides being knotted up with the gut wrenching emotions of Jun being in Galactor's hands as he put his foot to the floor to get there faster.

"Oh I see…The Swan got together with the Condor in that time, and it's tearing you up inside…you love her don't you..._a lot,_ did you ever tell her before you went missing…no I bet you didn't… a love triangle, huh…" Elisa baited him with her eyes and intrigued expression.

"You're avoiding my question." He said through clenched teeth.

"And so are you…I looks like you avoid anything that might cause you emotional pain." She threw back at him.

"I willing to die for the people I love…" He whispered softly as he stared out the front windscreen.

"I can see that." She told him and then they went silent for a while.

Was it that obvious he wondered, no wonder Joe went off the handle with him being so close to her like that.

One day, Ken figured he would like to meet this Akiya, who liked to interfere in his life from all aspects. He would question Elisa more about her later.

"We're almost there…"he told her simply as he pulled up a few doors down from the club and pulled his thoughts away from his personal matters, and Jun's beautiful sparkling green eyes and soft smile that danced before his face. "_Ken," _she called softly to him, I'm coming Jun. he thought back to her.

Ken got out and went and opened the back of the van and reached for a broom and a mop and a cleaning kit that he spotted.

"You _do_ as _I _say Elisa." He told her as he put on a chambray cleaners shirt like Elisa's from out of the back of the van, she nodded, and he moved off into the club with Elisa trailing along behind him.

She held a mop in her hand as he noticed her looking around behind him.

There was nothing that looked remotely like a false entrance so he continued to pretend to sweep as a group of workers walked past, Elisa mopped the floor and kept her face down as the workers tried to get a look at her, they just grunted and kept walking.

He looked down like he was concentrating on what he was doing, and looked out of the corner of his eye when he noticed two men come out of the boss's office.

He began to sweep in that direction and slowed down as they walked towards him. They didn't speak until they were past him but Ken's sharp ears heard every word.

"That little slut _won't_ talk, "the one with the moustache said in disgust.

"Count Egobossler himself tried to get her tell him were the rest of them are…He had a _good time_ with her though… She sure has a great body, and when I saw her dance, here a few weeks ago _wow_…I sure hope I get my turn before, they well… you know." He said in hopeful voice and small gruff laugh.

Kens blood ran cold, and he looked towards the door that the men came out off, that office and he glanced at Elisa, He could tell she had heard the comments as well, from the disgusted expression on her face.

Jun had to be behind a wall in that office he figured…after all apparently he had told Akiya to remind him of it …apparently. One day soon, he would find the time to get to the bottom of all this and he had a gut feeling it would be soon.

Ken casually swept to the door of Oscar's office and indicated for Elisa to follow him inside the room, and his eyes darted around to see if anyone was near by.

When they established they was alone he began to feel along the wall, but he could not find any sign of an entrance.

"What are you doing?" Elisa asked him.

"Looking for a doorway...what are you doing?" He asked her as he continued to move his hands along the walls of the office.

"She mentioned something about a doorway being an illusion." Elisa mused as she began to help Ken, and then he noticed an object that looked like a medallion in her hand.

"What's that?" He asked her as he indicated to the medallion. "Where did you get it from?"

"I'll explain later…Shouldn't you be in you bird costume…Gatchaman…" She whispered loudly, this question took Ken by surprise, he just shot her a raise eyebrow and Elisa rolled her eyes at him.

"She told me about you remember…besides I won't tell anyone who you are, I'm on _your_ side." She informed him as the continued to search.

After a few minutes he began to get more frustrated.

Suddenly Elisa smiled and looked at him. "It's an illusion right, of course!" She gasped like she was solving the riddle.

She held up the medallion to the wall, and then a small soft but luminous light started to come out of it and the wall lightened up gradually with a strange glow as the bricks began to shimmer away.

"When lightening strikes…" Ken whispered. "All illusions fall away…"

"Huh?" Elisa gave him a quizzical look." Lightning strikes… like a storm you mean?"

"No light-e-n-ing like a wall that is not all it seems until the right kind of light is shed onto it..." He began to move towards the stairs that now replaced the wall. Elisa just gave him a strange confused look.

He looked at Elisa as he brought his bracelet to his face. "_Bird Go_" he whispered as he ditched the chambray shirt behind a pot plant in the room.

Ken didn't have time to wonder how the illusion was created; the door had begun to shimmer again so they had to move fast.

Joe and Ryu felt the van stop and the driver got out; they followed silently behind the escort party of Count Egobossler in the base. Joe took his surroundings, and he knew finding Jun was his priority.

"The female prisoner sire?" An officer asked him.

"Yes, what about her?" Ego asked sounding a little annoyed with the man.

"What do you want done with her?" the goon asked Ego.

"When I finish talking to Sosai then I will decide, until then I want to keep her alive." Count Egobossler gave a sleazy grin to the officer.

"I think I need to teach her a few things…before I tire of her." Ego told his man and then laughed.

Joe tightened his grip on the weapon in his hand, he had to find her. He wanted to do was to hold her and tell her that he had been wrong, he loved her and they could make it work together. He needed to get her as far away from this maniac as he could, and knowing now what Ego had done to her from his own mouth. Count Egobossler was a walking corpse as far as the Condor was concerned. Joe kept his eyes on his target and he could feel Ryu's eyes boring into the back of his head.

Jun had to be in this base somewhere.

Joe only wanted to tell her how much she meant to him, and the memories of nights that he spent with her haunted him from the time he began to feel that he would he lose her forever, for a moment his memories of her flashed before his eyes.

Jun's long black hair spilled across the white pillow in the soft light of a lamp left on beside the bed and the feel of her soft silky skin as she slept in his arms. A gentle smile on her lips as she looked at him with her illuminating green eyes, his heart fluttered at how he felt in those happier times with Jun, and he wanted her to know they could have it all again together- he would buy a house and have children if that was what she wanted…

His eyes stayed focused on his target. That rat was going to pay dearly for the pain he had caused the Science Ninja Team, Joe would take his revenge from this piece of filth or die trying. Joe made the oath to himself as he followed the white haired blue skinned man as he formed his plan.


	13. The last one standing

_Show me what it's like to be the last one standing…__teach me wrong from right and I'll show you all I can be…_

Once they were on the other side of the wall, Ken realized that the steep winding stairwell lead underground, so they walked began to down a very long stairwell quietly hoping they would not run into any goons because it was an exposed stairwell. Finally they reached the bottom and Ken looked around to see if there were any Galactor goons in sight, he began to walk down the corridor hoping that they would not have security cameras on them.

"Joe, Ryu" Ken whispered into his communicator, Damn it he thought Joe and Ryu must have their communicators switched off, or maybe he was to far underground for the signal.

They came across a small empty room full of computer monitors on the walls. "Quick we may be able to locate her." He told Elisa who was already in front of one of the screens.

Ken looked at some of the data for a moment when he noticed a code name. _Operation fallout._ Ken wondered what it was referring to, so he pointed it out to Elisa who went white as a sheet for a moment.

"You know about this?" He quizzed her.

"Kinda…I heard an officer talking about total annihilation of the Resistance two days ago and he referred to _Operation fallout_. I have tried to get a warning to Kamo that they could have located hideouts…I hope he got my message." She was worried and it was written in her blue eyes as she looked at him.

"So do I…It is our job to stop Galactor and protect the planet." He said more to himself, but she gave him a small smile that acknowledged what he had just said."So that's why this place is so empty of goons…"

"Damn straight!" She told him, her grin turned feral. Ken had a brief thought that this girl and the Condor would be a very lethal combination.

"Look at this…"she pointed to a screen that had weather patterns showing on it. Ken had noticed the screen when he had come into the room, but his thoughts were only on finding Jun, and they still were. But he had to foil the plans that Galactor had against the Resistance now or they all would perish.

"That is an unusual cloud formation." She mused as they both made their way over to the computer terminal.

But Ken knew what it was; Katse's storm cloud was back. "That is more trouble…Berg Katse" he hissed at the moving formation in front of him.

"Are you sure?" Elisa asked him as he nodded slowly.

He could have left then to take care of that cloud, but he was not leaving that base without Jun, he took a mental note of the coordinates of the storm and then looked into Elisa's eyes for a moment, she seemed to understand as they left the room.

The ducked behind a door as two goons walked towards the room they had just left.

"Damn it Barney, you know that we are not suppose to leave this room…but a look at that bird was worth it…those girls look even better when they practice their routines." Barney's mate gushed as the two goons made their way into the room. "So was the stop at the bar, since no one was around to stop us from getting free whisky. Yep I could do with one of those dancers, dancing on my pole any day Ralf." Barney chuckled. "Get it, dancing on my pole," Barney nudged his companion to make sure he got the joke."Yeah I get it." Ralf responded in a wishful voice.

Ken felt his lips turn up in a snarl as he tightened his hand into a hard fist, he would deal with those two soon, men like that had no respect.

Jun had to be close by and he focused on her, and he now was suppressing his emotions to keep a level head so they would find her sooner. Elisa grabbed his arm as if she thought he was going to go back and kill them and they began to move down the corridors.

The place was bigger than it looked, but the hallways they walked down looked more like rabbit burrows opening at times into big auditoriums. He indicated to Elisa to start looking in the small glass windows in the doors they came across in one of the corridors.

He stopped and looked into the small window of one of the doors and he could tell it was a cell. She had to be in here somewhere, and they had to work fast before anyone saw them.

He ran down the hall frantically looking in the small windows but he couldn't see her in any of them, they were all empty. And there were no goons in sight, Galactor were always overconfident with their security he thought.

He looked up to see men in green coming towards him; he looked around him and found a door that would open and ran inside, and he hoped Elisa saw them too and did the same as she was further down the hall from him.

He found himself in a room with some odd looking devices in it, and ceiling shackles with electrical torture devices, it only took a moment to recognise what they were used for and his jaw locked up from the tense emotions that ran through him as he was almost overwhelmed with the thoughts that went through his mind.

Immediately he knew from the guard standing at the far door that he had found the right room, they would have had her guarded even in a locked room so with lightning speed he threw his birdrang at the startled guard and the goon was dead before he hit the ground.

Ken step over his body and looked at the door, she had to behind it and he would soon find out looked at the doors security locks- there was an electronic key pad.

So he took out a small explosive that he had in his belt pocket and set it next to the lock, he stepped back as it let of a small explosion, sparks and smoke flew at him as he covered himself with his wings for protection, the door opened at the force of the mini explosion.

When he walked into the room he was horrified at what he saw.

Jun was in the room tied to a bed,. Galactor was going to pay for this he thought as he frantically as he knelt next to the bed she was on. He knew what had been done to her and it stabbed at his core, it was what they feared in the beginning could happen to any one of them.

She was not clothed, and her body was battered and bruised, and he could not for a moment see any movement of her chest, her eyes were closed and he feared the worst.

"_Jun,_" he said, shaking her gently. She opened her eyes and looked at him as she tried to focus. "K…Ken "she replied weakly. "I knew… you would… come…"He quickly looked around him for something to throw over her to give her some dignity, but the room was bare.

"Yes Jun, it's me Ken. "He quickly untied her arms and legs, and them he looked under the bed for her clothes; luck had it that they had been thrown there. He got them out, and put them on the bed so that he could quickly help her dress. He quickly pulled on her jeans, and he needed her to sit up so he could put on her T-shirt.

"Jun…We _need _to move quickly can you sit up?" He asked, knowing she was in a lot of pain as she had moaned in agony as he moved her to put on her jeans and then her T-shirt. She nodded and tried to sit up, but the pain was too much and she cried out.

"Jun we have go…"Ken put his arms under her to lift her when he heard the noise at the door.

"What-"Elisa started as she looked at the Swan; Elisa clenched her jaw as she watched Ken pick Jun up in his in his arms.

Without speaking the three of them left the room and ran down the corridor, they were making their way to the exit when Ken stopped for a moment. Jun had become more conscious now but she was still not strong enough to walk, Ken could tell from her erratic breathing.

"_Operation Fallout_." He looked urgently at Elisa." They have to executing it soon. We have to get word out now, and destroy this base." He ordered looking at Jun.

"I have something bigger that we can do…I know were the Galactor headquarters are…"Elisa spoke quickly. "I know I should have mentioned this before, but when we are finished here…Ken we can take them out totally…Akiya needs us to do it, she-"Elisa stopped as they spotted the mass of goons running into the auditorium along with a Devilstar.

"Stop them!" She yelled.

Ken had no choice but to put Jun down against a far wall were she was protected by a pillar." Stay here, and don't move I'll be back" He promised her.

He took out his birdrang and engaged the enemy along side Elisa. She surprised him with her skills at fighting as she took one of the goon's guns and turned it against him.

Ken kept Jun in his sights and that's when he noticed her slowly climb to her feet from the angle that he was fighting from, she was using the wall to brace her and she produced her yo-yo. He had a feeling he knew her plan and he moved quickly towards her using back flips to avoid a spray of gun fire to get closer to her to so he could protect her better.

Then it was like watching something happen in slow motion.

Jun threw her yo-yo at the Devilstar, who did a flying leap in Jun's direction. The thin metal cord wrapped around the Devilstars throat and strangling her, Jun pulled her to the ground and the retracted her yo-yo cord, but not before the now dead Devilstar let loose a knife that Ken saw disappear behind the pillar were Jun was.

"Jun! Jun." He called out as he mowed down the last of the goons and ran over to her.

"No." He breathed as he saw the knife in her abdomen, and Jun ripped it out and screamed in pain as she did it.

"Did I kill her…"Jun asked as she struggled to breathe.

"You _bet _you did." Elisa answered for him, she was impressed with the Swan's handiwork.

"Good…my…communicator." Jun hoarsely whispered and then lost conscious for a moment, as Elisa crouched down beside Ken with her shirt in her hand wearing only a white singlet top now and jeans and she tore the shirt in two as she began to tie it around Jun's wound with Ken helping her.

"We need to _finish_ this." Ken told Elisa holding in the emotions that he was feeling as he looked at Jun, but they were hard to contain and resisted the temptation to turn away.

"I know…but you need to get her to a Doctor, she's losing blood and you can't take her to the local hospitals-" Elisa lectured him.

"I know that Elisa. I know a doctor who can help us." He informed her firmly, as he picked Jun up in his arms and held her as her eyes opened again slowly he could feel the brush of her eyelashes against his cheek.

"Then let _me_ destroy this base…then we can get on with it. "Elisa's eyes full of vigor as she looked at him. "I can _do_ this, get her back to your doctor…then we can set out for Headquarters when you have her in good medical hands, and all the team is together."

That plan was sound, and it was along the lines that Ken was thinking." Rendezvous with me or one of the team a the airfield outside of Utoland-" he told her.

"I know the one you're talking about. I'll wait there…good luck!" she told him as he left the room from the corner of his eye he thought he saw her pick something that looked like a bracelet from the body of the Devilstar. He hoped she had just found Jun's communicator but they had little time and he had to move fast to if he was going to save her.

"Jun hang on…I. _need _you to hang on," he pleaded to her as he ran to leave the base, hiding at times to avoid goons. She was semi conscious; he looked at her face and glassy eyes. She was still bleeding and he could see a dark red stain oozing through the dressing of her wound. The corridor he was in now seemed to be leading him upwards, he hoped that meant another exit point.

Fast he thought move faster…

He could hear more goons behind him and the word, "_Gatchaman!"_

He ran as fast as he could towards the door, he hit the button and it opened, the goons were behind him as he emerged out of and an alley that looked to be a few blocks away from the club

He looked around for a vehicle, and began to run up the street, he turned a corner and found himself in the middle of a busy downtown Utoland. People and cars were everywhere, the street noise seemed to be amplified as he ran down the footpath dodging people, and the goons were still running behind him.

He spotted a red Ferrari stopped close by at a set of traffic lights, and he made a bee line through the stopped traffic for it. Jun felt so light in his arms and she was motionless. She was scaring him. He opened the passenger door and sat Jun in the seat.

"Hey what the _hell _do you think your doing." The young wealthy looking business man with a shocked look on his face as Jun slumped in the seat towards the man. "You'll get blood _all over_ the white leather." The man gave Ken a look of disgust- he had not time for this as he noticed the goons weaving their way through the traffic.

"_Get out!_ And put that seat belt on her…" Ken ordered with his birdrang drawn, and Ken gave him a death stare that would have had the Condor shaking.

He jumped over the front bonnet of the sports car, as the lights were about to change and the goons were closing the distance between them, and goons on motor bikes just rounded a street corner.

"Your _Gatchaman_…"Then the man's eyes went wide and then he acted quickly, and did as he was told. And he got out of the car. Ken got into the drivers side and he accelerated hard as the goons ran up the street behind him, weaving his way through the traffic with the goons on motor bikes behind him coming up fast.

Ken got onto an express way that led out of town and then he tried to contact Joe and Ryu but still received no answer. Where the hell are they he thought as he stole a look at Jun, he had to get her medical attention fast…

They needed Dr.Pandora, or Jun didn't have a chance.

"Ken!" Came John's voice in his communicator. _"John?_" He was surprised to his voice or any of the Lone Gunmen at that rate. "You people are so _hard_ to contact."

"John I don't have time for this, I have to get Jun to Dr Pandora she's injured." He told him as he moved fast through traffic dodging people and cars.

"I've been _trying_ to warn you that Galactor are crawling all looking for you guys. They have captured some more of the Resistance fighters, and we have to move soon, or the Lone Gunman will be _history_." he asked and waited for Ken's response.

"Tell me something I don't know, you have got to get word out now to all the Resistance…Galactor is moving in," Was his last response to him as he looked in the rear vision mirror.

It was then that he saw the six goons on motor bikes coming up behind him.

He began to head out of the city on the main freeway hoping to lose them, Jun was fading fast and he needed to get her help. He looked into the rear vision mirror and the goons were closing in on them fast as he sped towards the hideout and Dr.Pandora.

Jun moaned in pain again and he could see her reaching for something in her jeans.

"K…Ken," she breathed her words slowly, and her green eyes were half open slits, and she was looking at him."Mm..mmyy Yyoo-yo." He opened the driver's window, and looked back at the goons closing in as he floored the accelerator and dropped the clutch shifted into fourth gear to get more power, to try and lose them, but they had fast bikes and it looked like Galactor had improved their vehicles as they moved into formation.

One came along side of them and he took Jun's Yo-yo from her out stretched hand. He darted it out the window knocking the man hard in the head as he lost balance and skidded off the side of the road.

But there were still five more of them; He still headed towards the hideout.

He check behind him again, and slowed down to let them come closer, they were close together the last five goons and they were about to split up when he executed his next plan.

He threw the Yo-yo out the window again behind him and the cord wrapped itself around the middle goon's handle bars.

Just before Ken detonated the bomb through clenched teeth he said to them." This is from the Swan… _Galactor bastards_." And he pressed the detonation button, the Yo-Yo exploded throwing all of the goons from their bikes and creating a massive piled up behind him, as he surveyed the fire spread across the road behind them.

By this time he was closer to the hideout and Jun, could not travel much further and he needed to look at her wound. She was slumped over again and drifting in and out of consciousness.

"_Joe, Ryu!"_He yelled into his communicator, this time he got a response, it was Ryu.

"Where are you Ken?? We have Count Egobossler, Joes just talking to him now about where they have Jun…"

"Ryu, I have her with me, we are close to the hideout Jun needs medical attention _now_, she's badly injured, I…I can't…"Ken faltered as his voice cracked; they really needed an ambulance, a hospital.

He was close to the hideout when he felt the explosion and tons of sand and debris flew high into the air as he pulled on the hand brake to turn the car around to avoid a clump of sand and a tree that dropped in front of him in the middle of the road as he spoke to Ryu.

Damn it! He thought, he wondered if Dr.Pandora was there, or was she now a captive to, so now he had no other choice.

Ken knew he was clutching at short straws and the plan was thin, but at that time he had no choice. Ken swang the car around and he headed towards the airfield. "Ryu, change of plan…get to airfield as fast as you can…" Ken was not sure if Ryu heard him.

"Ken…Joes got his sword and he's...well," Ryu's hesitant but hardened voice came through the communicator, as Ken floored the sports car to its maximum speed as he approached the airfield.

He could hear Joe's voice in the communicator and sounds coming from the background, it was Joe "talking" to Count Egobossler.

"You won't find her _Condor." _Egobossler sneered. "But she was a _good_ woman to bed with; she should learn to participate more though… I could teach her, but she was not a-" Egobossler boasted in a sneering voice to the Condor.

He could hear Joe's deadly snarl. "You're going to _die _blue boy for what you did to her, and for Jinpei and Dr.Nambu."

"_Ryu._" Ken tried to get his attention, Ken wondered if he had set his communicator for open channel so that Ken could hear Joe's interrogation. Then he heard Count Egobossler's cry of extreme pain and he could hear him gurgling blood. And he knew Joe had killed him in a horrible way.

Ken imagined that Joe had taken the sword that Egobossler carried around with him and he stabbed it into his gut with it and twisted it to make sure the job was done right.

"We're on our way…Tell Jun I'm coming…tell her-" The wild deep voice of the Condor spoke through the communicator. "Ryu behind you! Noooo-" was the last thing he heard for a few moments then he heard shouts, Joe was calling out to Owl to get out of somewhere, Ryu called back to Joe, something about getting out of there and he'd hold them back for as long as he could." _No _Ryu...Get out _now_!!!" Ryu…_Ryuuuu._." Joe shouted full of anguish and then silence and them there was only static. Ken's hand began to shake as he fought to keep them steady as he worried about the fate of his brothers.

Ken felt no remorse over Count Egobossler being killed by Joe like that. They we only minutes now from the airfield and he looked over at her, she was a deathly shade of white as he choked back tears as he looked at the blood soaked seat around her.

For what seemed like eternity he finally pulled up outside of the shack. He got Jun out of the car and held her close to him as he kicked in the door of his shack, and he laid her down on the mattress of his old bed.

Jun opened her eyes and tried to say something as he opened the First Aid kit he has retrieved from the cupboard and he opened a bandage. He un-wrapped her from the bloody chambray bandage, she was covered in so much blood, and so was he, he noticed. He took of his helmet as the visor was getting in the way.

"Ken...I…I…don't…have …much…longer." She was struggling to speak.

"Save your strength Jun…Joes on his way…." He just kept talking," don't' you give up on me…are you hearing me Jun, please don't make me live without you…" He tried to keep the desperation out of his voice but as he spoke he could hear it was thick with emotion.

"Ken…I…Love…" she whispered.

He leaned over and embraced her, as he held he looked into her half open green eyes. "I know Jun…I've known for a long time, that's why I _need_ you to hold on…because…"He struggled with the words, the anguish of her coming death filled him, as hot tears rolled down his face, she didn't have a chance and he knew it.

He wanted to tell her how he felt, but under different circumstances, now he may never get another chance, even if she was not his girl.

"I love you." He whispered in her ear. "I'm so sorry… I let you down…"

He didn't know if she heard him, she had gone limp, and lost all consciousness again. He sobbed into her neck as he held her tight to his body, and rocked her gently like a child. "Jun I'm so sorry…"he whimpered feeling weak and helpless as she lay dying in his arms and her breath became very shallow he felt it warm against his ear.

"Ken," a voice came through the communicator, it was John, and for a moment he ignored him.

Finally he took the call." Yes John." He spoke into the bracelet with no emotion feeling dizzy and drained of it, he was still holding Jun, she still felt warm against him, and he could not feel her breath now, and her chest was not rising.

"Your cloud is back, it is not in the same place as you left it though…" John informed him.

"Thanks," was all he said Ken knew were it was as he looked at Jun, it dawned on him that he had a way he could set things right, it was a long shot but he had to try.

He gently laid her back down on the mattress, Ken knew she was almost gone, and the light left his world, it was suddenly so dark, even though the late afternoon sun was falling in light streams through the cracks in the boards across the windows.

But he had to leave her there alone if he was to catch this cloud and travel through time again, he had to leave her there to die alone and it cut him in two as he picked up his helmet, he gently kissed her lips and ran out the door.

Ken to the Cessna and transmuted back into civilian mode before he got in, then he began to taxi it to the runway.

He looked behind him for a moment back at the shack that Jun lay inside of and he asked for her forgiveness for leaving her there to die alone as he gunned the engines to take off from the runway.

He saw a car stop in front of the shack and the Condor got out alone, Ken felt hot tears on his cheeks at the sight of the lone Condor standing there outside his shack with the wind gently picking up his wings as Joe watched his Commander leave.

Ken wondered what Joe was thinking in those moments, and had they had lost Ryu as well? He wondered. That sudden static over the communicator…

The Condor would now be the last man standing and the final hope for all around him because Ken knew that even if he destroyed this cloud it was unlikely he would come out of it alive.

In the distance he could see a van heading down the road that lead to the airfield and Ken knew that it had to be Elisa, and there was hope that she could help Joe to destroy Galactor's main Headquarters.

Joe became a dot in the distance as he turned the Cessna in the direction of the cloud and the Condor went inside his shack. He knew Joe would find her, in his shack and Ken hoped Joe would burn it to the ground after wards; he never wanted to walk in there again with the memories of it being the place he held her in his arms and watched her die…

Ken had to focus now, he had to change things, if he could…there had to be a way to travel back in time…

"Watch out Katse, the Eagle is coming after you." He hoarsely whispered as determination griped him as he looked at the white clouds in the sky and the unusual storm cloud up ahead.


	14. Jurassic Park

Captain Sorro made his way down the hall to Berge Katse's quarters on the Storm mecha. Things had been quiet on the mecha and they had not one sign of the Science Ninja Team in the last few hours.

This was a mystery as they always showed up in a reasonable time when something out of the ordinary was around. Like the strange storm that this mecha would be showing on the radars of the ISO.

He signed as he approached the door of his boss's office. Katse would be bored by now and when he got a few red wines under his belt he tended to become very vocal. And his insults improved as well.

So Captain Sorro put his finger on the button to let Lord Katse know he was there.

"Come in." The voice of Katse slurred.

Great! Thought Captain Sorro, he was drunk!

"What do ya want Captain…have the birdies showed up yetttss." Katse stuttered and slurred.

"Ahhh no sire but-"Captain Sorro started with a solute to his Lord.

"Then what'd here for!" Katse stood up and almost knocked over his wine.

"Well sire we have ahhh…mmm…we have spotted a few interesting things in the past few hours since that plane-"Sorro was really nervous now.

"Strange things?" Katse queried him as he looked up at his Captain with his glass poised to take a sip.

"Well…it's hard to explain but the ground under us keeps changing and well…the landscape-"

"You idiot!" Katse threw a hand in his face. "We are a _moving storm _cloud formation imbecile!"

"Well I am aware my Lord it's just that the plane we shot down-" Sorro was trying really hard here to explain to a drunk Berge Katse what was going on here.

"What kinda accent is that Sorro…British? I can't understand a friggin' word you're saying!" Katse asked him out of the blue in a tone that told Sorro he was not listening to him.

"What...ahhh...mmm huh, well sir there is no such thing as a British accent-" Sorro ran out of words as he tried not to stare at Katse's green eyes glaring through his cat mask in the refection of a window looking out on the hazy cloud, well that's what Captain Sorro always thought it looked like anyway. Katse looked like a purple pointy nosed cat, all he needed was whiskers!

"Your accent, I can hardly understand a word you're saying! What do mean by no such thing!" Katse demanded his purple cape swirled as he turned to face him." Well answer me you imbecile! "Katse demanded.

Captain Sorro put a finger to his lips as he decided to expand a bit here, to save being demoted.

"Well…my mother is Irish, and my father is Scottish. We lived in England from the time I was a young lad, and my Welsh grandmother and English grandfather lived with us and I was home schooled, and they all insisted that I talk like they did." Sorro finished with a grin; he was pleased with himself that he managed to explain his family in just a few sentences.

"Whatta mouthful!" Katse muttered. "You had a more confusing childhood than I did…then it's British" Katse declared as if to end the conversation topic, "because it covers all dialects in your case."

Captain Sorro nodded in agreement, after all only a total idiot would argue with Berge Katse!

"So what dah you come here for again?" Katse quizzed him off handedly he was getting bored waiting.

"Well sire that plane that we shot down is back!" Finally Sorro got out what he came to see Katse for.

"Well, idiot why didn't you say so in the first place!" screeched at him, throwing out his cape as he stalked past his captain. Sorro just fell in behind him as Katse marched up to the bridge.

"Attention on deck!" Captain Sorro called out behind him.

Katse stopped and turned and glowed at him through the cat green eyes of the mask he wore, Sorro waited for him to hiss at him.

"Whatever…"Katse dismissed him with a purple gloved hand. "So where is the plane?"

"Well sire it is there!" Sorro pointed at the small plane that had entered the cloud.

"So shoot it down again!" Katse commanded.

"Why haven't those annoying birds shown up yet…they never fail to come…Send some men down to the ground to make sure the pilot is dead. He's annoying me the stubborn…what was that!" Katse exclaimed at the flash of light as both wings became wrapped in lightning bolts.

The flash was an extremely brightly coloured light that send a shock wave through the mecha, and then it disappeared along with the plane…

Ken struggled with the controls of the plane in the turbulence caused by the storm, it was a much darker shade of steel blue grey than he remembered and he had zero visibility as he began to search for mecha that he knew was hidden in the cloud through the rain and wind that made it deafening to his ears as he desperately searched for the mecha that was concealed within the cloud.

"_Damn it!_ "He muttered with anger as he searched for Katse's creation. "You're in here _somewhere_ I know it Katse." He cursed as his eyes went wild looking for his target.

Ken tried to see if he could glimpse something in a flash of lightning, but he saw nothing but black cloud cover. The small Cessna lurched abruptly sideways sending him almost out of control as he tried to level the plane.

"What the…" He cried out as his plane was wrenched with a great deal of force back up right again, and Ken realized it was nothing to do with the controls of his plane that he was desperately trying to get back in control of.

He looked out of his cockpit window at the bolts of lightning that were miraculously wrapped around both of his wings.

"Alright, come out you coward!" He yelled with all his frustration at Katse as he banged the dash board of the Cessna, Jun's dying green eyes reflected in the soft light of his cockpit. "Ken…" she called out to him faintly as she closed her eyes. She was his reason for coming back into the cloud…

_Think_damn it! _Think_! He scowled himself.

"The last time I transmuted…" he wondered out loud to himself. His smile contorted into a determined scowl. "_This_ should get your attention." He said to the image of the evil pink lipped smile of Katse that came into his mind,_ "Bird go!"_ he called out as he put his arm in front of his face and the transmutation sequence took place with an enormous flash of bright light and colours in a way that Ken had never seen before in all the times he had transmuted into birdstyle.

Then he blacked out before he could do anything else.

He slowly became conscious again in time to see that approaching ground, but not in time to see the strange looking flock of birds that he flew into, that sent the G-1 one into a spin and blew out one of the engines as a bird hit the side of the jet full on sending him into a flat spin.

Ken looked behind him to see plumes of black smock and the licking of bright orange flames coming from a place near the rear of the plane. He had to land fast or he would become a fire ball, or just explode. Neither one sounded like an option he liked the thought of really. He struggled with the controls to stop the spin as dizziness almost overwhelmed as he managed by some miracle to momentarily gain control of the G-1.

Ken surveyed the ground quickly for a place to land. Everything looked strange on the ground in a way that he had no time to assess as he flew over emerald green lush forests with enormous trees and vegetation, he spotted in the distance what looked to be large moving herds of pre-historic animals of in the distance.

"What the?" He murmured as he was distracted by the amazing sight of the herd of long neck dinosaurs he passed over.

The engine had cut out moments before and he was almost gliding as he crashed landed in a clearing, and his focus was bought back to what was happening with his jet as he came into to land with about as much grace as Ryu trying to land from a free fall.

O.K it was not a text book crash landing, but since when did any book ever tell you how to crash effectively Ken wondered as the thought passed through his mind for some unknown reason.

The jet plowed up rich black soft soil, as Ken just held on tight as he was jerked and thrown around the cockpit and he shuddered as he barely missed an enormous tree as the jet continued to plow through the undergrowth and he finally stopped with a thud against an enormous tree trunk that looked to have been fallen to the ground for sometime in the middle of a clearing, the tip of his plane was perched just above the rocks of a flowing stream.

He sat there for a few moments trying to get his bearings as he analyzed his new surroundings.

Thump…

Ken felt the ground vibrate under him as he sat still in the wrecked jet.

Thump…Thump…_thump._

The sound gradually moved towards him as she struggled to get the hatch open. He quickly got his birdrang into his hand and pried the broken seal open.

Damn it! It wouldn't budge. He looked up to see the trees moving oddly towards the clearing as he finally managed to break the seal of the canopy, he grimaced as his he found his injuries as he tried to move out of the jet; he looked up for a moment to see a goon on the other side of the clearing.

He could feel the pain and anger rise up inside him as he looked at the Galactor, he could take him on easily, and just a throw of his Birdrang would finish him off. Then Ken stopped himself as his fingers touched the cold metal of his weapon, what would he become? What would happen to his soul if he sought revenge for the deaths of his friends through killing on a whim?

He was half out of his Jet as that revelation entered his mind.

His thoughts turned momentarily to his friends, Jun's limp body, Joe standing alone watching him fly away as his brother turned to enter the shack to find out the fate of the woman they both loved. The mental image of Joe holding her limp body in his arms as he grieved for her, made Ken draw out his Birdrang from its holster as he took a deep breath. He could still hear Ryu's last cries to Joe to save himself. And the faces of Jinpei and Dr. Nambu shadowed his thoughts.

Jun…unshed tears stung his eyes.

The very thought that he had just lost Jun in the most horrible way he could imagine numbed his insides, and he stood frozen on the spot as he stopped in his effort to leave the wreckage.

But he didn't need to worry about killing that goon, that mans death was coming up right behind him as the enormous T-Rex burst through the abundant dark green undergrowth and picked the man up his jaws and began to eat him as he was still screaming for help.

Ken's jaw dropped as he hurried out of the jet's cockpit ignoring the screaming pain in his side around his ribs and other muscles. He turned to see another T-Rex coming out of the forest not far behind and he held himself close to the log as the dinosaur approached him.

It stopped next to the jet and sniffed the cockpit as it began to finish the job the birds had begun of destroying it, he cringed at the sound of metal grinding and the last hope of recovering his jet in anyway faded as he watched it being tossed like a paper plane over the other side of the trunk that he was hiding against.

Ken figured that the T-Rex had picked up the scent of a potential meal from the plane. He just hoped that the fuel he could see that was now leaking out of the tank would confuse the animal as he felt its moist protein scented breath against his skin as it had moved closer to where he was standing.

Ken kept himself perfectly still…_ROARRRRRR!_ The sound was deafening and it took all his will power not to move as it began to pull apart the Jet.

Something caught the T-Rex's eye above him and it moved away towards it, he heard the shriek of a human voice and he wondered if it was another goon as he took the opportunity to flee into the dense forest.

He stopped long enough to see the two T-Rex's fighting over the meal.

He could hear the deafening roar of the T-Rex in the clearing as he ran further into the dense lush rainforest. He slowed down his pace as his senses went on high alert, Ken wasn't sure how long he had been running, but the sun was now setting through the trees. He chose to climb a tree to get a better of view of his location and the dangers that awaited him in the lush rainforest. And he was hurting and exhausted, he felt the first rumbles in his stomach as hunger took hold, he could ignore it for now he had other things on his mind as he climbed higher up the huge tree.

Galactor was here for a start. But then they could be from that storm cloud as well, so Katse may be sending in ground crews if the cloud was still here.

So many more questions and what was worse was that he no longer had the Cessna to fly back up there…

He finally found a place that he could rest in the nook in the tree branches; it was almost like a small platform with a very shallow cave. He sat down holding his legs close to his body, and he pulled his wings around him for warmth as he looked out at the gentle roll hills of the landscape. There was a massive Mountain range in the distance and the bellowing not too far from where he was.

So what now? He thought. At another time he would have wondered if this was all real but as he looked out at his surroundings he knew it was real.

Looking out at the red sunset he noticed something high in the sky, there was no mistaking this was a bird. It was massive but the way it flew was so elegant, like a dance on the horizon.

What struck him the most about this bird was not its size but, the amazing rainbow of colours that shone from its wings as the sun lightly touched the silhouette as it swooped on another smaller bird for its meal.

"Beautiful…" he whispered out loud. Jun would appreciate the beauty of this creature, he thought, whatever ancient bird it was, he found his mind reaching out to that beautiful bird.

Jun was there again in his thoughts, always in his quiet peaceful times he thought about Jun. This time it was not her laugh or how pretty she looked when she was mad at Jinpei for goofing off at the Snack J.

For the first time it was grief at losing her in every way in a possible future that she fell in love with someone else, and her still limp body, her long black hair falling freely around her smooth death white skin and her dark long lashes contrasted against the top of her cheeks as the colour left her lips as he laid her down gently on his mattress in the shack.

No, I will not think of her that way! Ken shook himself out of those memories and he tried to forget them, but the kept replaying in mind like the last memory of his father did and the same emotions welled up in him again as he fought to keep control.

He realized he was still staring at the bird as it departed towards the mountain range as the sky became dark, the moon light hardly made it through the dense foliage to reach the ground below were he was sitting. He figured he was safer in the tree for the night.

He woke up at dawn and tried to stand up, but his stiff muscles wouldn't let him move very fast. So he straightened his joints just a bit at a time as the blood circulation returned to his limbs.

Ken looked around and decided it was time to move on, where to in this prehistoric place he didn't know but he needed to keep moving and find some food before starvation got the better of him.

"Stay frosty." He told himself as he began to glide to ground from the tree, using branches for leverage to gain momentum as he landed perfectly on the ground, he looked around for potential danger and he began to move with as much stealth as could.

He was astonished at how different the world looked from the study books that Jinpei had bought out from the Snack J in an effort to get out of work and catch up on some assignments that Dr. Nambu had given him to keep up his education.

Jinpei really didn't like the assignments and Jun had a tough time making him do them, but for some reason Jinpei wanted his help, and his company so Ken let him come over to the airfield for the day and the young boy turned up with his books and a DVD for them to watch…

"_Big bro' look at these Dinosaurs, wouldn't it be cool to see them for real like in that movie we just watched… Jurassic Park." Jinpei shoved the book up his nose and as Ken was just getting to a good part in his current biography._

"_Yeah Jin it would be cool…you know you can look some of that stuff up on the net, my laptops over there on the desk if you wanna use it." He said still looking at his book with no real interest in the Dinosaurs. It wasn't until he looked up at Jinpei who was obvious in showing his hurt in how Ken had just brushed him off and how much Jinpei really looked up to him as more than his leader, it made Ken truly feel like he was a part of a family, and he had suddenly wanted to do something special for the Swallow. _

"_You know Jin, Ameris's capital city has a really good prehistoric museum…how about we go now in the Cessna and do some research. Then we can have some dinner, and look around the city…" He announced with some excitement to Jinpei. He suddenly did want to spend time with Jinpei and he watched as the smile spread across his face._

"_Yeah let's go…"Then he bowed his head for a moment with disappointment. "I promised Sis I would be back for the evening shift to help out."_

"_Let me take care of Jun..."He winked at Jinpei as he began to contact her with the bracelet and they headed out to the small plane…they had a great day together, wandering through the museum, ice creams and they even went to the Theme Park and ate hot dogs for dinner. They didn't fly back into Utoland until the early hours of the morning when he made up the couch for a tired but happy Swallow to sleep on… _

Back to his current reality…Ken had stopped at a stream moments before to drink some water, and looked out for signs of the Galactor goons. There was no sign of them only large moving animals.

He moved with the herds of large animals that paid him no heed as he moved towards the mountains that seemed to get further away from him rather than closer.

It wasn't until mid-afternoon that he sensed the first sign of real danger; he silently pulled out his Birdrang as he spotted the Raptor looking at him.

He was being hunted and he could feel their eyes on him.

The intelligence in its eyes was startling, and he figured there had to be more than just the one so out of the corner of his eye he looked for another one, and sure enough it was hidden behind a large fern.

In a flash he saw the third one close in on him for the kill and he sprung just that bit quicker than the Raptor into the air as high as he could go he caught a glimpse of the Raptors colliding together with a crunch as he left a void in the place he had just been.

Before he could spread his wings to glide down to another location he felt claws dig into his skin through his Birdstyle and he wondered what kind of trouble he was in now and he began to try and get out of the grip that this bird had on him…

"Hang on, and stop fighting me or I _will_ make a meal out of you…whatever you are." A familiar reptilian voice filled his mind as he looked up at the swirl of rainbow coloured feathers of a massive bird that was carrying him towards the mountain range…


	15. Love is for fools

Chapter 15 – Love is for fools.

Despite the pain of the claws digging into his shoulders Ken was spellbound by the vast landscape below him and how different the planet was back in this time. He had no doubts now that he was transported back through time to the Jurassic age. He spotted an active volcano not far from the mountain range; it looked to be preparing a show as he took in everything he could see.

This was definitely no set up by Katse; he clutched the legs of the giant bird as she circled her decent high up in the mountains. Because of the altitude he had a wave of dizziness pass over him as the air thinned out, but he managed to shake it off as she dropped him in a valley in front of the mouth of a huge entrance to a cave. She landed close by.

Ken turned to look at her, so _this _was his contact when he made the first jump through time he was sure of it from the voice that entered his mind.

He looked up at her eyes, as they examined each other. She would have to been at least the height of a five story apartment building, her feathers shot of colours to reflect her surroundings but mainly vibrant greens, peacock blue, tones of gold and red. She had long but elegant looking tail feathers that reminded him of a peacock. Around her face were mainly soft colours of red and gold and her eye a stunning shade of clear amber. She held herself as a Queen would before a subject, proud and regal. Her beak was long steel blue grey, along with her clawed feet

"Akiya, you're beautiful." He told her in his amazement as he waited for her next move.

A shock wave went through his mind, and he found himself falling to his knees from the force and the pain of it.

"_Akiya…stop this_." He called out to her and the shock wave stopped.

"How do you know me?" She demanded harshly.

"We met in another time…"Ken began."You befriended me…"

But it was like she didn't hear him as she continued. "You are not like the others…you have speech and intelligence…why do we understand each other…"She mused as she looked back at him with the intensity of her huge almond shaped eyes boring into her.

"You tell me and then we'll both know…"Ken stood still in front of her with his wings wrapped around him, it was cold in these mountains.

"I hate your kind…" Her voice had gone cold and bitter. "You kill _not_ just for meat, my children were butchered…" And Ken could hear sorrow in her voice.

"Why did you _save me_ then?" He prodded her as he took a step forward

"You called out to me." She looked leaned down and looked at him closely." Your kind _does not_ have that kind of intelligence… I should kill you for the murder of my young…but…" She stopped for a moment, as he watched her fight her own emotions as her huge body shook with rage that was coursing through her.

Ken still stood his ground, what ever had happened to Akiya was obviously horrible, but he knew he needed to get through to her that he was not responsible for the deaths of her young.

"You said that I'm different, but you don't kill just for sport…I know you are compassionate." He pointed out.

"They were young and defenceless, oh why…why did Xengmy second mateabandon me, was I not a good mate..." She cried in despair.

Ken felt sympathy welled up inside him for the pain that was in her heart.

"You were abandoned…"he asked her as he looked up into her eyes, she looked away from him as her eyes turned skyward.

"We do not die…we reincarnate from fire…that was why we came to this planet, the fire from the centre helped us but then but my first mate died…the others of my kind blamed this world for the death of their leader…the fire of the Earth was not what we thought." She was not any calmer, but Ken was mesmerized by what she was saying, not all of it was making sense to him, but he wanted to know more about her.

"Amazing…you're a real Phoenix! So the Phoenix wasn't a myth after all…" Ken knew he must have had an expression of astonishment, but he didn't care at that moment.

"What did you call me?" Akiya commanded as she reared up. "We are the _Firebird_…the most intelligent species that has ever graced this planet. The humans are not any were near our like…good enough to do our bidding, huh they have hardly mastered speech, but you have…So are you one of the green clad breed of humans that came here a four full turns of the moon ago, the ones that destroyed my nest…" She hissed in a low dangerous tone.

Ken grunted at how condescending she was towards other species that lived on this planet around her. "No, whatever they are….I'm not one of them." He had an idea who the green clad human could be.

But he was getting frustrated with her now, and he needed to get her focusing on something more than herself and her loneliness. "Maybe the Phoenix was supposed to guard the Earth. A Phoenix rose from the fire to become stronger and wiser, and protect those who cannot protect themselves." he had told her.

She glowered at him eyes that penetrated him to his core being as she reared up with her wings spread out flashing more brilliant shades of rainbow colours before his eyes then she stepped forward and took off into the air.

Ken could feel the anger and despair radiate from her as she took flight the force of the wind from her wings threw him off his feet, he knew as he scrambled back up to a standing position as he watched her become a dot in the sky he needed to stay until she came back.

So he found a comfortable spot to think about the encounter he just had with a strange bird. I occurred to him that she might not live in this cave, or be alone for that matter, but he had to trust his instincts.

She wasn't going to kill him, but she was torn up with grief. Ken knew how that felt, but he needed her help, he had to find out if the cloud was still up there for a start, find a way back to the Cessna and see if he could salvage anything of it the make a plane of some description.

He had work to do!

He looked up at the blue sky that was now going dark with the setting sun, it was getting colder and he figured the cave was a good place to wait for her. So he found a sheltered spot in the mouth and sat down with his folded around him for warmth as he looked out into the twilight sky with the moon.

For a moment he smiled at the irony of his life at this point in time, it could have been worse, he thought. I could have ended up in the ice age!

So he waited…

The night sky became black before he heard the soft sound of air being moved and a breeze hit his face as she landed in front of the cave. Her amber eyes glowed in the darkness but they looked softer as she looked for him.

"I'm still here." He informed her as he slowly stood up.

"I can see that, but why did you stay?" She moved closer into the mouth of the cave and Ken stepped to the side so he wouldn't be trampled by her huge bulk. "I gave you a chance to escape from me didn't know that I wanted to kill you."

"If you _wanted_ to kill me then you would have already done so, "He sighed as looked at this magnificent creature that was legendary as much as she was mystical." We need to talk." Ken let her eyes light up the cave for him so he could see where he was going. As he moved into the cave he could see that this was a place she had made her home. The ceiling was as high as a one you would find in a ball room but it was cosy, there was a place set up that looked like a sleeping area.

"We are the most intelligent species on this planet…" She started as she gracefully perched herself on the nest in one corner, then she hesitated for a moment as she studied him with her beautiful huge ice blue eyes that seemed to reflect the colours around her making them go darker before his eyes to the colour of the deep grey black stone walls of the cave. "There is something about you…" her voice in his head had gone softer for a moment.

He could tell that she must have reached some kind of conclusion while she was in flight. He wondered what that was, and why she came back so calm.

She preened some of her feathers for a moment before she interrupted his thoughts. "The answer to your question is that I discovered I was lonely in this world on my own…no other creature can communicate with me they way you do." Her voice in his mind trailed off and before he could speak she started talking to him again." You need to learn to guard what you do not want me hear in your mind…you loved her a great deal didn't you." Ken looked at Akiya's sad pale blue eyes; he blinked back tears as he turned his back to her and folded his arms.

She was silent in his mind for a moment…finally she spoke again; he voice was soft and tired." You are hungry…I have brought you a beast to feed from. The other creatures avoid this cave, fire is death to them." Ken felt her dismissal in his mind as he curled up and closed her eyes to sleep.

He was hungry, and walked outside to be confronted with a dead pre-historic animal of some kind that was behind a rock. He gathered some wood in the moonlight and started a small fire outside of the cave. The flames danced as he set up a spit with a lump of meat that he managed to cut off the dead animal and as it sizzled on the open flames he transmuted back into his civilian form.

"Yes…I do love her." He whispered to the red and deep orange flames as he stared at it and Jun seemed to materialize before him and his breath caught in his throat. "But I don't deserve her…and she one day see that if I was back in that time, or the time that I left originally…love is for fools who want to get their hearts broken. It's better that I never-" But he choked on the words as the sadness of his losses welled up in him again as he slowly sat down and pulled the cooked meat from the flames and her face disappeared as he began to slowly eat the lean meat.

Later he wondered back inside the cave exhausted both emotionally and physically, he made himself a bed out of some loose dry grass and when sleep finally took him to the land of dreams where he flew with his team mates with their wings spread out and the cold wind catching them in a free fall from a mecha holding hands as they swirled to the ground…


	16. Green clad men

Ken woke up the next morning with warm sunlight hitting his closed eyes and the sting of light filled them as he opened his eyelids gradually. A shadow of a large bird blocked the sunlight as he looked at the mouth of the cave.

"You slept too long…" She stated in his mind. "I believe you want to go back to the ship you arrived in."

He rolled onto his side and pushed himself up to a half sitting position and he just nodded as he got to his feet. He feathers looked like a dark swirling golden rainbow as the sun reflected of them.

His stomach rumbled and he felt like his brain had gone to mush overnight. He was never very good in the morning before breakfast and a strong coffee.

Ken ran his fingers through his hair to pull out a few knots, and then he straightened up his T-shirt.

"Let's go." He told her as he put his arm in front of his face,"_ bird go…"_

"That is a strange thing that you do…You can change what you are in an instant." She mused as she watched him transform. "Interesting."

Silently he followed her out of the cave, she lowered her wings and she indicated that he climb up onto her back.

"I am not a creature that is a slave to you…" She informed him as he flew up to sit just below her long neck. "You command creatures to you obedience that carry you on their backs. I sensed the thought as it entered your mind and you need to understand that it by _my_grace that I take to were you want to go."

"I understand, it is not my goal to command you Akiya. Just to be your friend and friends help each other." He let the thought tell her instead of his voice.

"I see, 'friend' is what you call the feelings you have towards me." She turned to look at him and her now amber eyes lit up. "We have no such word in our language...what does it mean."

"It means people who enjoy each others company, and connect in a certain way and-"But she cut him off as she turned her head away from him.

"Hang on…" she warned him as she spread her great wings and they lifted up of the edge of the cliff close to the cave.

Ken felt the sensation of the sudden rush of cold wind hit him as she moved in a gradual circle to head in the direction of the rainforest.

He took in the sights below him and it occurred to him that prehistoric archaeologists would have loved the opportunity to go back and study the animals below him in detail, the only issue is getting back to the time he left, and it felt like a decade since he was there going for his usual mail delivery run in the Cessna.

His mind drifted back to his current reality, flight didn't seen to take as long it seemed to the day before and he was looking at the wreckage of his jet in no time.

She landed in the clearing and waited as he walked over to inspect what was left of the Jet.

All it looked like was a pile of twisted metal, and the fire in the engine must have sparked again from the black wet soot that covered the ground around the wrecked jet. He sighed as he had a look through the wreckage for anything he could use to rebuild the plane from the tangled mess.

But it was long beyond being repaired, he pulled out a survival bag from under the seat and he opened it and pulled out a health muesli bar. The muesli bar wasn't standard issue with the survival kits in their vehicles, but Ken added a box for emergency breakfast when he got called to action very early in the morning.

He walked back to Akiya as he ate his breakfast; he then opened the water flask and washed down the last of the bar.

He spotted movement in the ferns behind them and he silently put down the bag, Akiya seemed to sense the same thing that he did as she posed herself ready to strike at whatever was watching them.

Ken heard the low ring of the metal of his Birdrang as it left it's holster and like the white shadow he was know to be he moved with stealth using Akiya to cover him as he came up behind the threat.

Early mankind grunted as he got ready to strike, they had camouflaged themselves with greenery from the rainforest as they prepared to attack him with the sticks in their hands and volcanic rock in there hands.

They used a basic strategy of trying to circle him as he looked at the green clad men with heavy bone structured features and very thick black brows.

They hesitated and looked at him with great curiosity as the men continued to study him. The stand off didn't last for long as Akiya with a rage that Ken had never seen in her before attacked the men with fire from her mouth scorching them and burning them as they cried out in pain and terror at her ferocious attack.

"_Stop_ Akiya." He cried out to her as she continued her attack on the hand full of men as they ran from her. "Stop _killing _them, they didn't attack us."

"They will kill you…for no reason at all- they are the most dangerous creatures on this planet and must be annihilated." She wildly cried out she faltered as he caught hold of wings and pulled himself up.

"But _I'm_ a human being…just like they are." He pointed out to her as she landed with a thud on the ground in the clearing again. The strange call of animals could be heard as the smell of the burning flesh became apparent in the breeze that had found its way into the dense rainforest. He picked up the bag he had abandoned earlier and she indicated for him to get up on her back

"No…you are not like them." She calmly told him as they lifted off the ground. "Let me show you something."

"Alright…" His hopped up on her back and positioned himself on her shoulders as she lifted them both up into the air.

"I have a story to tell you…maybe then you will understand why the Earth cannot become populated by those creatures." She sighed as if he was ignorant on why she was right in this.

"Well show me why you think that way then." He watched the landscape below as they headed in a different direction from then cave in the mountains.

88888888888

They flew in silence the whole way to the destination that she wanted to take him to, it was on the other side of the volcano, as they came into land Ken spread his mantle to allow the wind to lift him up off her wings and he glided beside her as she landed in a lush green grove that looked like it had been occupied at one time not so long ago.

"You know that I lost my young…" She began as he looked at the wreckage of what looked to be a nest.

"Yes," he answered simply and he waited for her to continue.

"I have had two mates, which is a rare thing amongst the firebirds. My first mate Sosai Somue was the one that made my heart soar…love is the word that you told me stood for that emotion." She stopped and looked at him with grief stricken deep amber eyes. "We do not name emotions as you do…they simply are. But Sosai Somue had the same strong emotions towards me as I did for him. We were mates not just to breed, but of the soul as well this mating is for life…we do not die, but we are reborn from fire every 500 full turns of the earth around the sun."

He walked over and perched himself on a rock that was partly covered on moss.

"So why did he leave you…" Ken questioned, he figured the key to why she helped is in this somehow.

Her proud head swivelled in his direction and flames sparked in her eyes momentarily at a memory she hadn't yet shared with him.

"He died…but he never rose again from his ashes." She sadly looked towards the volcano in the distance.

"Sosai Somue was the only leader of the Firebirds, he ruled with a kind but strong heart and when the eggs were laid for our first nest he rejoiced for days…I loved him deeply." She hung her head with sorrow as she spoke of him and Ken found himself walking over to her, he wondered how to give a huge bird like her comfort.

"One day not so many moons ago and a full turn of the Earth he went to the heart of the Earth…What you are calling a volcano. Something happened and he plunged into the eternal fire of molten lava…from this we discovered a Firebird could never return from."

Ken nodded as the realization came to him." The heat and flames of molten rock never go out…it would make it impossible for reincarnation and he would have vanished into the Earth forever."

She inclined her head gracefully in acknowledgement of his insight. "Yes that was what we discovered… and we were left without a leader. I was being groomed to take over from my mate as it is tradition and before the time had come for me to become Sosai. Xeng came to my nest and confessed that he tried to save Somue who was he was loyal to…After that Xeng came to me often, just before my young were due to be hatched he came and helped with their final birth through combining his fire with mine…they become his adopted fledglings this way and my new mate."

Ken figured out what had happened next." He also become Sosai Xeng…but why?" Ken queried.

"He felt it would be better for me to look after our young…and he –"she stopped and Ken sensed there was something here that she was holding back.

"He what?" he pushed.

"Nothing…the rest of my race were uncertain after Sosai Somue's death…they feared their own death and planned to leave for a distant planet that did have Volcano's." The loneliness in her eyes was almost overwhelming.

"So why did you stay?" Ken pressed her for a reason.

"Because I could not leave…Xeng wanted me to go with him, but there was something different about since he claimed to be Sosai… His jealously of other Firebird males who showed me any compassion was unreasonable since we had mated for life. I gave him what he wanted…and I betrayed the memory of Sosai Somue by mating with Xeng."She mourned. "Xeng began to demand I call him Sosai even before he become Sosai…I began to feel that he used me only to gain power within the clans…He stayed only a short time after the rest of our race left and he could not understand why I was so unhappy, and then the nest was raided by those humans clad in green, and he went wild and killed as many as he could find. But then I hated them too…" Ken shook his head as he looked around the grove, nature was doing it's best to reclaim what was left of the nest and cover the evidence of the crime.

"You fear this Xeng, and with good reason…but why did you give into him?" This was something Ken couldn't understand for a creature as strong as Akiya.

"Because after I lost Somue…I wanted to be able to feel again, Xeng helped me do that…he was affectionate at first and treated me with respect." Was all she offered as an explanation?" And then he told me he could bring salvation to our race if I let him…so I stepped down and told the Elders that I was giving the title of Sosai to Xeng…and then he abandoned me." She stood up and fluffed out her golden wings and looked at Ken as if to say she was done here.

He was about to walk over to get up on her back when something caught his eye, he walked over to the far side of the grove and picked a small symbol that didn't belong in the Jurassic age, it had been there some time, he did a quick scan of the area again and he could see the remains of prehistoric men that had attacked the nest.

"Galactor!" He exclaimed as he swirled around to meet her eyes and he held up the symbol between his fingers. "One of the attackers was with Galactor,"

But why he was here and why Galactor would attack this nest was a mystery in itself and Ken didn't know if he would ever be able to solve it.

"Who are_Galactor?_" Akiya prodded him as he walked over and jumped up onto her shoulders.

"The ones that killed your young…they may have made the other humans attack…Galactor is the enemy. They are an evil organization and in the future try to take over the Earth." Ken held on as she lifted into the air.

"They were the ones who killed my friends and my father." He told her, he could hear the bitterness creep into his voice.

"I see…" Her voice had gone stiff with the truth in what he was saying, "and my fledglings too. How did they get here if they are from the future?"

"There is a storm cloud that is travelling through time, if we find it and I find a way to stop it before the leader of the Galactor group realizes what it is doing-" He indicated.

"Then it will destroy the Earth before it's time, or use this storm cloud to rule. Then you need me to help you find that cloud…and we can rage revenge on the ones that killed our loved ones." She finished what he saying.

"Yes…" He replied softly.

She was silent for a while…and for rest of the flight back to the cave. He knew she would need more information on them, and he was willing to tell her all about the evil organisation, all she had to do was ask.


	17. Hallucinations

Chapter 17-Hallucinations

Ken spent the next week living like a cave man- he had many conversations with Akiya about Galactor.

He was preparing a cooking fire just before sunset when she arrived with food again, she never ate with him and in a way he was grateful, the sight of her tearing up another prehistoric bird and leaving its insides everywhere would definitely put him off his dinner.

"Hello…so what's on the menu tonight" he asked with a smile as she dumped the featherless bird on the ledge close to the cave.

"Rhamphorhynchus!" He clapped his hands together in anticipation and forced enthusiasm. If this is what he had to eat to survive then he figured he should try to like it more, since there was no variety at all in diet.

"If I had some bread rolls, lettuce, tomatoes, beetroot, and onion… and don't forget the cranberry sauce and mayo. I could have a Rhamphorhynchus burger! Maybe I could add an egg and some bacon as well for a works burger." He cast a cheesy grin at Akiya but his attempt at humour was lost on her, and he sighed in disappointment. It was the price he paid when his only companion was a Phoenix.

"If you don't like what I bring you, then you should try hunting for yourself." She glowered momentarily at him with her amber eyes and then she sat in the mouth of the cave and watched him cut into the hard skin of the bird with his Birdrang.

He sighed as he took the lump of meat and speared the stick through it, and then he put it over the open fire to cook.

"You know." She paused for an instant and then continued." I could cook it for you with my fire-"

"Ah… thanks, but NO!" he told her and went back to turning his dinner over the small open fire.

"I didn't mean to make charcoal out of the last meal-" She told him as she got defensive about her cooking skills.

In frustration he interrupted her. "Why is it that all the females in my life can't cook?"

She pouted; if a bird could pout she found a way to do it." You need the females to cook for you…in my clan the males cooked all the meat. It was what they did."

"So what did you do?" He asked as he watched the juices drip from the meat and sizzle as they hit the open flame." And how have you survived so long if you have to cook your own meat."

She ignored his last comment like he had delivered her an insult. "I looked after the nest; of course…our eggs need four seasons to hatch." She arranged her wings in close beside her and she looked like she was getting comfortable.

Finally his meat was cooked ton his liking and he took it off the spit to cool for a moment as he sat down on a rock.

"The volcano has been showing some activity over the past few days." Ken noted as he took a bite out of his chunk of meat. It had a sweet taste to it, like the Kangaroo meat he tried on a trip to Australia, at least it wasn't like chicken he thought.

Akiya inclined her head as she looked in the direction of the volcano.

"This one is not alone in its activity, there are several more far from us that look to be getting more active." She told him.

This is a worry. Ken thought. He remembered reading about Krakatoa and the devastation it caused, and other volcanic eruptions world wide.

"Lots of steam and pumice stone is starting to spill out of it…maybe we should relocate before it becomes ash and the whole thing erupts." It was the logical thing to do he figured. Volcanic ash was a killer if it got into your lungs, you may not die from it straight away, but the sharp shards of rock in your lungs from he knew was an agonizing way to die.

She agreed with him." Tomorrow I will start looking for a new location, it will mean that I will have to fly further…do you want to come with me?" She offered, this was the first time in about a week that she had offered to take him any where." I want to know more about this Galactor group, you said they are trying to undermine the mantle project this storm cloud machine that sent you back in time is fascinating, " She pondered.

"Yeah I'm up for it and we'll talk more then." He nodded as he finished his meal.

"Tell me more about this Galactor, why do you think they would target my nest?" She queried.

His eyebrows puckered together for a moment as he thought about it." To be honest with you, I don't know. The symbol that I found could be a coincidence." Ken had been giving it a lot of thought since they had visited the spot of Akiya's nest.

"Why did you stay here Akiya, you could have gone with your race to a better planet." He waited for her to answer, he had been wondering about it ever since she mentioned that her race had gone to another planet.

"I love this planet, and so did Somue…he would not have gone." She stood up and a look of pride crossed her features making her feathers shimmer a deep shade of golden blue in the flickering light of the small fire." I do not run simply because there is danger of certain death. Our elders were afraid, and they contested Xeng's rule of us. Xeng left me so he could maintain his power. _I_ would not abandon those I loved so easily."

Ken acknowledged her loyalty silently as he slowly stood up, for some reason he felt giddy as he walked over to his camp fire.

"I'm getting some rest, see you in the morning." He stamped out his fire and then he covered it with rocks and he headed into the cave.

As he lay down on bed of grass and dizziness almost over whelmed him, but after a while sleep finally came to him.

When he woke again he couldn't tell if it was night or day, a stream of water hit his face and he looked up at a worried Phoenix before he closed his eyes again, sweat dripped off him and he felt almost paralysed because of the lack of strength in his muscles.

"I never thought you would wake up." She said as he detected anxiety in her voice.

"I...I...want to throw up." Was all he could manage to say weakly as the nausea kicked in and he leaned over to try to throw up, but instead only managed to dry retch which only made him feel worse than he already felt.

"You have been unconscious for days…I have had to wait for you to open your mouth so that I could put water in, sometimes you choked a bit on it, but I think some went down into your belly." She fretted, and he weakly moved to see his water can near her clawed feet.

He collapsed back into his bed as his limps would hardly respond to him in the way they should. "What is happening to me?" He croaked as he tried to reach the water bottle that was just out of his reach.

"You became very ill- that is what has happened to you." She pointed out like it was so obvious to the world. "You are being exposed to bacteria that your body may not have known before. I must get you back to your own time as soon as I can or you could die here."

He just lay there looking at the black rock walls of the cave, he looked pasted Akiya for a moment and Jun walked towards him, she sat down in the grass bed and took his hand and smiled gently as she gazed into his eyes." I'm here with you Ken, its O.K…I'll help you get better… But for now you need to rest." She laid down next him as he turned his head to look into her green eyes.

"How did you get here…did you get stuck in the time warp too?" He asked her as he felt his heart begin to race at her touch, sweat began to cover his body as he anticipated what she might want from him, he felt himself fall into a state of delirium as he tried to pull her closer to him…he wanted to kiss her so much.

"Ken the Eagle you are hallucinating…" He heard Akiya's voice in the distance somewhere but he ignored the interfering annoying voice…he was now with Jun.

She looked at him softy and with a finger she touched his lips. "I want to be with you always but right now I'm so tired Ken…lets rest …just you and me like it should always be," and she cuddled up to him with her head on his shoulder, he long black hair felt like silk in his fingers as he ran his fingers through her locks, and he could feel the curves of her body as she closed the distance between them, in her warm embrace he found sleep again.

He woke up with a jolt some time later and she was gone.

His sleep was restless and he called out to her often in hope that she was still there, but she didn't come to him again.

Sometimes when he woke Joe would be standing close by leaning against the wall with his usual guarded expression." Common Washio…get up and be a man. Galactor doesn't wait for anyone…you're needed to lead the team…" And then he'd walk away and darkness would follow.

Then in the shadows he saw her looking at him." I love Joe…but I love you too…why do I have to choose between you?" she'd tell him with sad eyes as tears began to spill down her cheeks, and the words were like a dagger in his heart as she slowly turned and began to walk away from him.

"Jun." He called out, "I…I…please don't go…_Jun._" Ken struggled with the words that cried out from his heart, 'I love you…' was what he wanted to cy out to her but they just wouldn't come past his lips and for a few moments he wondered where he was as he laid back down again as he realized he has suddenly sat up to reach for her and he was wide awake. His limps still had numbness to them and at one point he must have taken his shirt off and thrown it into the corner close by. He ran his hands down his face and he felt tears and then he decided he should try to sit up moaned as the effort seamed to cost him any strength that he had.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." A familiar female reptilian voice came for the front entrance of the cave.

He blacked out anyway and woke up again with a ripper of headache."Ahhhgghhh what the hell is going on with me!" he cried out in frustration as he clutched his head in agony.

"You hit your head when you fell it would seem…and we have to go now." She told him with a sense of urgency.

Ken blinked away at the bright lights that filled his vision as he tried to focus on her.

"Huh…why?" He was still trying to sit up and his weak limps wouldn't let him.

"The volcano has become very active in the past week while you have been ill, ash is now starting to fall and if we leave it much longer I won't be able to fly…and a cloud that stands out on its own has turned up today…" She told him as she came over closer to him.

That got his attention. Ken reached for his shirt and the movement cost him but he continued to force himself to move.

What seemed like an eternity he was finally on his feet and he transmuted into Birdstyle which seemed to give him at least a bit of strength.

He walked out of the cave and Akiya indicated for him to wait for her as ash fell around him he tied a piece of cloth from his survival bag around his nose and mouth for protection "You're too weak to hold onto my neck." She indicated to him as he stood there with his knees almost ready to give way from underneath him.

So she lifted up off the ground and then swooped down and picked him up and the headed in the direction of the cloud as the volcano began the next part of its eruption…


	18. The horned Owl

"Sire it look a volcano…and it's-" Captain Sorro pointed at the screen not knowing what to do.

"What a volcano is erupting?" Katse interrupted him as he looked at his Captain sharply.

"Yes Lord Katse…that's what it looks like." The Captain informed him.

"Hump…There's something _fishy _going on here, the men didn't return, the landscape changing…and armoured knights in a battle…so what _is_ going on???" Katse mused.

"Wellll…it_could be_ a Medieval day-." Captain Sorro bowed his head in thought, but Katse was ignoring him a usual.

"Well…let's take a look at the view screen again…_maybe_ the Science Ninja Team is out there after all." Katse flicked his cape as he strutted around the bridge muttering about incompetent men and that the Science Ninja Team could have slipped in unnoticed. "Well… let the vermin try and stop Storm Mecha!" Katse chuckled as he looked at the volcanic eruption taking place on the screen; suddenly he looked back at the screen in thought.

"What Volcano is it?" Katse queried as he stared at the column of gasses and ash that were being blown high into the sky, bright red hot magma was just starting to flow over the sides, the Mecha was low in the sky for some reason and he knew they would be blown to bits when the Pyroclastic column collapsed, and it was likely that the volcano would implode, so Katse gave his next order.

"I dunno…I ahhh didn't do much in Geographic's sire….dad thought I should learn more about the birds and the bee's in that lesson-"Sorro tried to explain but Katse had moved on from that question.

"Well!" He looked at the poor Captain as if he should know what Katse wanted him to do without him even saying it."_ Don't just stand there; get us out of here now_!" Katse yelled as Captain Sorro scurried over to the controls. "_But Lord Katse_…" Captain Sorro yelled out frantically as he turned to address his superior." The controls won't respond to us."

"WHAT THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!!!" Katse yelled frantically as he looked quickly behind as if the Eagle was standing there, when the spot was empty he sighed with relief. "You're hitting the wrong button then fool." He informed his Captain, when did he promote this fool and why Katse wondered as he ran over to take good look at the view screen; he could see a strange bird fly into the cloud as the pyroclastic column began its collapse into the Earth below them.

"_Gatchaman._" Katse hissed, he wondered what strange new weapon the Science Ninja Team had. They were not ones for variety he had noted several time and he should have finished them off by now. The volcanic Pyroclastic column was causing electrical charges Katse noted as several men flinched from their controls and sparks came out of controls. Still Katse never liked to be wrong, and it was never _his _fault that they were defeated all the time.

He looked at Gatchaman and the giant bird that had its grip on him, what were they up to he wondered.

"Try the controls again." He called out as he watched them approach him," Send out bolts of lightning…around the bird's wings…" He ordered. "I have you now Gatchaman…and soon you will be dead." He sneered, "The other fool birds will try and rescue him, but they will fall into the power of the Storm Mecha."

An electrical surge generated by the volcano magnified the cloud and flashes of brilliant light and electricity were sent into the artificial storm cloud, the jolt sent every goon and Katse flying to the other side of the ship. The last Katse saw of the Eagle was a blinding light and the screech of the bird as the pyroclastic column collapsed with the effect of 20 nuclear bombs as it hit the storm cloud…and then nothing more.

8888888

Ken drifted in and out of consciousness as they flew towards the familiar dark grey storm cloud.

"You're right…it's the cloud I'm looking for." Ken projected the thought out to Akiya.

"I thought it looked unnatural…it's close to the Pyroclastic column." She warned him as the closed the distance between them and the storm cloud.

"Well you just drop me off on the Mecha that's hidden inside…then get out of there as fast as you can." He told her.

"Like I would abandon you…we have to destroy it." She declared as they flew into the cloud.

The whole thing was electrically charged and the sizzle of the static electrically was enough to warn him that without his birdstyle he would be dead by now from the charges he was feeling.

"Akiya!" He called out; he was concerned for her as he spotted the mecha inside the cloud.

"I see it too!" She told him.

Ken needed her, but at the same time he didn't want her to die. "You have to go…this current could kill you."

"My feathers can stand up to this…" She enlightened him as bolts of lightning wrapped themselves around her wings.

"But for how long?" He queried as he saw the most terrifying thing beyond the Mecha that was happening as they tried to get closer to it. The Pyroclastic column was collapsing and grey ash and rock curled in a dense steel grey cloud down the side of the imploding mountain.

She cried out in pain, and a sonic boom deafened him as she struggle to break free throwing around like a rag doll and made his body feel like it was about to come apart, she cried out in horror as she saw the same thing he did and the bolts of lightning that were holding her let go as blackness took over, and knew his death was coming as she plummeted from the cloud.

88888888

It was surreal…he was floating in a white cloud somewhere in the universe.

He couldn't feel a thing in the rest of his body but the claws of the enormous big bird were hurting his shoulders.

But he didn't care, he was dead after all.

The pain made him feel like he wanted to die; Ken hated the feeling of being helpless, and it made him venerable. Being venerable emotionally and physically was something Ken had worked to avoid since he realized how much responsibility rested on his shoulders when he became the Leader of the Science Ninja Team.

But now all he had tried to accomplish was for nothing, he was dead now anyway, and as far as he knew Galactor we still around.

He floated in a sense of animated suspense…

He managed to open his eyes for a short moment and he could see his shack just ahead of them.

He wanted to say…"Leave me here…I can die with her…Joe can burn the shack with our bodies inside it." But his throat was parched dry and his thoughts were fuzzy. His imagination let his see the shack as his final funeral pier as flames engulfed it; he felt the heat of the fire on his face as he said his goodbye to his friends and family.

"We'll meet again…one day." The whispered thought was gone from his mind as a female voice that sounded like Jun's, but it wasn't begged him to hang onto life.

But the words wouldn't come into his conscious mind, and Akiya wasn't listening to him, so he allow himself to fall again…this time he really was falling and nothing was going save him and Ken just wanted to die so he let his last breath leave his body as the blackness swallowed him up.

888888888

Ken felt his limp body land on something, and when he opened his eyes and a beautiful angel stood before him as he gazed up at the starry night sky.

At least that's what the beautiful woman fair skinned woman looked like to him.

She had long wavy copper red hair with a golden huge that moonlight highlighted her hair fell almost to her ankles, her shimmering rainbow coloured robe fell loosely from her shoulders but it showed the curves of a beautiful womanly body. Her vibrant clear leaf green eyes had unusual amber glints in them; her pale snow white skin was smooth and supple, she looked to be about his age but her eyes held wisdom beyond her years. Long fine fingers pushed the hair back from his face, and her perfect pale pink lips smiled softly at him as he struggled to talk.

"Shhh…you're barley alive." She whispered her voice was almost reptilian. "These fishermen will get you help…Your bracelet is in your pocket, I must go now. But I'll find you again soon." She promised, and then he saw her get up and walk to the side of a railing her bare delicate feet hardly made a sound on the timber floor, she looked back at him once and then she leapt over the edge, and that was last thing he saw as the night claimed him again.

He awoke again to see the night time stars and a rocking sensation, he tried to open his eyes but his eyelids wouldn't budge.

Some part of his body must have moved because he heard a familiar voice, only it was much younger…Ryu!

"Don't move to much mister…"Ryu told him. "I'll help you…we can be friends,"the boys eyes lit up for a second and then he bowed his head sadly. "I don't have any friends…so it would be nice to have _one _at least."

Ken tried to speak again but nothing would come out but at least he managed to open his eyes, he figured it must have all been a dream.

But the boy sitting next to his bunk bed looked like Ryu but much younger. A chubby boy who looked to be about 11 years old sat there looking at him with doe eyes and a blank expression on his face, his unruly dark hair looked like a comb had never been run through it.

"Drink this…you need water." Before Ken could say anything the boy had a cup of water to his lips and Ken was wearing more of it than he was drinking as he choked on the cool liquid.

"_Ryuuuu!!!_" An older mans voice came from down a hall way, and Ryu turned to look at the door and sighed.

"Yes papa…" the boy called out as the head of an older man with a black moustache popped his head inside the door.

"There you are…didn't I _tell_ you to leave this young man alone just for a short while so we can dock the boat. We don't know anything about him…" The boy's father scolded his son in frustration- Ryu flinched like he often did when Joe reprimanded him.

"I know papa…but he's sick, and it's not good to leave a sick person alone." Ryu pleaded as he looked desperately at Ken for some reason.

"Well," Captain Nakanishi's angry face softened a bit at his son's pleading eyes," it was only for a short while that I needed you to be up on deck, I need you to help with the docking of the trawler…"The man who Ken now recognised as Captain Nakanishiindicated to his son to follow him. Ken could hear the Captain muttering as he walked back down the hall. "What am I going to _do_ with him, if he's not sleeping in the bow of the fishing trawler…then he's goofing off!"

Ken felt sorry for Ryu as the boy's eyes welled up with tears. "I have to go…but I'll come back and check on you soon." Ryu promised as he left the room that was more like a cupboard.

Ken dozed for a while, he didn't know how long it was before Ryu returned, but he wasn't alone.

Two men with a stretcher came and picked him up like a sack of grain and put him on the stretcher and then they carried him up to the top deck and then after a bit of jolting around he was taken from the boat down a gang walk. The smell of fresh fish floated through the air and despite how weak he felt his stomach rumbled.

"Bring him in." A gentle woman's voice reached his ears and a short while later he was transferred to a bed.

"I don't know how he ended up on deck…"Captain Nakanishi's concerned voice reached Ken's ears as his wife hushed her husband as she began to fuss over her patient. "We'll have time to find that out…right now he's needing rest and medical attention, leave it to me, I have cared for sick or injured sailors since I was a young girl…isn't that how we met my love…"

He felt a soft hand in his."You poor young fledgling…"the older woman sighed in a way much like Ryu had.

"Ryu get me some water, Dr Nash will be here soon." She kindly asked him. Ryu smiled warmly at his mother and went off to do as she asked.

"Do you have a name you man?" She asked him as she sank down on the side of the bed.

"K…Kisho." He told her, he suddenly felt the need to conceal his real name as he looked at the boy who was now standing in the doorway with a jug of water and a cup.

"Kisho…" Ryu gave him a jolly grin. "Welcome to our home."

Ken wondered if he would ever get back to the time he left as he looked at the younger version of the Owl and then exhaustion pulled him back into a slumber.


	19. The good doctor

A few hours later the doctor had come and gone Ken was suffering from severe dehydration and lack of food in his body that a virus that could have been fatal to him since he was so weak from the lack of medical treatment, so the doctor had given Mrs Nakanishi some strong anti- biotic to help him recover.

He heard a crying baby somewhere in the house and he became worried that the virus he picked up might be contagious, he tried to point that out to Mrs Nakanishi but she only hushed him, and told him that she would make sure the baby stayed away from him until he was over the worst part.

"It's alright mother." Ryu leapt to his feet. "I'll go and see what Senji is crying about…he probably needs his nappy changed."

Mrs Nakanishi smiled affectionately at the door her eldest son just walked out of. "He loves his baby brother so much…I guess he waited a long time for a sibling."

Ken just nodded as he accepted the puréed food from the spoon she was feeding him, it was all he could manage as he was still sleeping more than he was awake, and his strength was still coming back slowly, at least he could feel his limbs again.

Each day from that time on Ken got a little bit stronger, it was about a week later he was able to sit up in his bed without much effort and his thoughts had turned to Akiya and the storm cloud for the first time.

His recollections of the events after he became ill were vague, but he had some idea that the electrical charge might have something to do with the time travel. He was deep in thought on this when young Ryu walked into the room with a breakfast tray.

Seeing the young boy was a reminder that he was still not back in the right time, but then maybe it had benefits being in this time frame…Red Impulse was alive and he began to think of what would happen if he met himself as a boy.

"Good morning...you're looking a lot better today." Then Ryu smiled cheerfully at his new friend and he put the tray on the side table and jumped up onto the end of the bed. He couldn't help but like Ryu as a boy, he was just as friendly and goofy as he was years later when Ken would meet him for the first time and wonder how the kid was going to learn to fly a ship in such a short time.

"My mother washed your clothes…she said they were full of some strange dust…it looked volcanic …are you a vulcanologist Kisho." Ryu's eyes went wide with wonder as he looked at Ken.

"That's right…I ahh was doing some research on extinct volcano's…" Ken hoped he wouldn't be asked too many questions about Volcano's he really only knew the basics he had learned from Dr.Nambu. Like keep away from them if the look like they are going to erupt…especially in the Cessna.

"So where did you say my clothes were?" Ken quickly changed the topic knowing

Ryu would forget about the Volcano's.

"Your clothes are in the hallway." Ryu just sat on the end of the bed and he pulled Ken's bracelet out of his pocket and he turned it over in his hand as he studied it, "Mama found this in your pocket…Can I keep it?" He asked not looking at Ken as he pressed the com's button.

Ken quickly retrieved it from him.

If you be good you'll get you own one day. Ken thought.

"It's a present from a close friend." He told Ryu before he could ask more about it and Ken put it out of sight, Ryu just accepted what he told him and the boy got off the bed and returned with Ken's jeans and shirt, and underwear. Ken felt colour rising to his face at the thought that she took off his underwear while he was sleeping, he finally noticed that his underwear was missing when he moved.

"Do you want to take a shower…after you finish your breakfast." Ryu indicated the bathroom was down the hall.

"Yeah, that would be good…" He ate his breakfast in bed and then he wrapped a towel around his waist, picked up his clothes and headed for the bathroom. A hot shower would feel good, he felt like it had been weeks since he had seen running water. And then he realized it had been weeks.

The warm hot steaming shower felt like a massage as it washed his body clean from the adventure of the past few weeks. His flight into the future seemed more like a dream now than something that really happened…but he had a reminder that told him it did and he hoped the piece of paper he carried in his pocket didn't go through the wash was well.

He let the foaming soap work its way into his skin as he moved the sponge in between his legs to get some of the dirt that seemed to be stuck to him like glue. Gradually he began to feel human again as he rinsed off the soap and the shampoo from his thick hair that was full of dust.

Finally he dried off and dressed in his clean uniform and he walked out of the bathroom feeling like a new man.

He needed to build up his strength again he wasn't going to do it laying on his back all day he walked into the room and smiled at his 'new' friend.

"Do want to show me around Ryu." He asked him with a smile, the boy's face lit up with delight at Ken asking him to take him on a tour.

"I sure would!" But then he stopped and hesitated and Ken knew his mother must have given him some instructions. "What does your mother or father want you to do?"

Ken quizzed him; Ryu looked surprised that Ken just read him like a book.

"Well mama says you're still recovering…and I…ahhh shouldn't take you on hikes or out in my boat until she says I can." Ryu looked up at the ceiling and scratched his head he was still thinking about what he was going to do. "I told her you were studying volcano's…she is still wondering how you ended up on our fishing trawler…so is papa."

"Me too…"Ken muttered as he looked back at the boy who just missed what he said.

"Well…" Ken smiled at him. "Common…Lets find your mother."

Ryu followed along behind his future commander like a lost puppy…

Less than an hour later they were walking up a hill which was making Ken's chest hurt like he had been jogging for hours.

This is not good, he thought. I have build up my strength again fast.

When they reached the top Ken looked out at a familiar view, he walked over and sat on a rock and caught his breath. He had sat here once not so long ago with Jun and looked out at this same view while on a mission, why did so many things have a connection with her in his life he wondered as Ryu ran around the grassed sloping hill and then he collapsed in a grassy spot and went to sleep.

"Huh!" Ken laughed out loud. "Some things stay the same."

He was so close to getting back to the time he left, now all he had to figure out was how it all worked and he wished Jun was here to go over ideas on how to set things right.

So he was a few years from the team being formed…Ken reflected for a few minutes on the events that would be happening in his life at this point.

He would be just 12 years, his mother would have just passed away and he would be practising his martial arts for hours each day so he block out the pain he felt at her loss. Each day he would wonder about his father, but then he was realizing more now that Dr.Nambu took over that role from the time he was 5 years old.

Dr.Nambu helped him through that difficult time the best way he could, he took him out of school, and he began to home school him. Ken figured it was because he kept getting into fights, but then it was because he was always defending a certain 'friend' who he now knew wasn't worth it.

Akiya had disappeared and he was wondering if she actually made it out of the cloud. She could have dropped him…but then there was that dream. Ken shook his head to get the jumble of thoughts out of his mind.

If she was hurt, then he should try and find her and help her…

So he sat down and relaxed his mind and reached out to her…

"Ken the Eagle…you live!" Akiya entered his mind.

"Yes, I'm alive, are you alright?" he asked her concern for her safety filled his voice.

There was a few seconds of silence before she spoke again.

"My wings suffered from the lightning bolts…I have found a cave to recover in, it is in the mountain, but I cannot fly ay the moment." She informed him.

"Then guide me and I will come to you…" He stood up and looked out at the ocean, and then over at the still sleeping Ryu.

"Build up your own strength first…" She told him weakly.

"If you can't fly then how will you find food?" Ken questioned her sternly.

"There are small animals that dare venture into the mouth of the cave; they are enough to keep me going…" She told him a voice that sounded stained.

"I'm leaving to come and find you tomorrow…" Ken told her and wasn't going to take no for an answer.

"As you wish…I'm in the mountains…far from where you are now...close your eyes and do not resist me." She warned him.

Ken did as she asked and images filled his mind showing him a path through the Himalayan mountains to where the cave that she was resting in was located, he caught a glimpse of her for a moment, she looked sick, and he knew her pride was not allowing her to tell him how bad she really was.

"I can't…this has weakened me-"Akiya told him in a breathy voice before she disappeared.

"Ryu…" Ken called out to the now snoring future Owl.

"Common Ryu we have to go…" He didn't know how he was going to get to her, but he really had to start straight away, the wind was picking up and a storm was coming in across the ocean, it was later in the day and Ken was amazed at how long they had been up on the hill. All thoughts of looking for his father drifted from his mind in his bid to help a friend.

"Ahh…uugghh…what?" The dazed boy stumbled to his feet as Ken grabbed his arm and yanked him out of his sleep.

"I need to-"Ryu interrupted him.

"Look!" He cried out and pointed to a small boat that was out at sea." It looks like whoever is in that boat is in trouble…the current and the wind is taking it towards the rocks, and he doesn't look to be able to steer."

Ken follow Ryu's finger and then Ryu ran off ahead of him in his sense of urgency, Ken followed as best he could, the Owl could be slow at times but when he was needed to move fast he always could keep up with them.

The wind was howling now, but Ryu was already at the mariner pushing a row boat into the water.

Ken went to join him but Ryu shook his head and with a serious face he gave Ken the first order he had ever heard from him. "You would only hinder me…your not well enough and mama would fry me if I took you out in a storm and you got sick again…go and get my father, he can bring out the bigger boat to meet us. "Ryu looked back and gave Ken a reassuring smile." I know these waters better than anyone…"

This was a different side of the Owl…one that Ken wanted to see more of, so for once instead of trying to resist him, Ken decided to trust him, and he ran as fast as he could back to the house…

**  
**The Captainwas about to leave the house to make sure his fishing trawler was secure in the storm when Ken arrived as the rain began to fall…

"Ryu spotted a boat in trouble…he's gone out to help in his row boat." Ken questioned the wisdom of allowing an eleven year old boy to go out in a storm on his own, but this was Ryu, and he had to trust him.

"My, he can be stubborn…don't worry you couldn't have stopped him, when his mind is set on doing something…" Ryu's father shook his head sadly." but if someone is in danger at sea and he's willing to help with thinking of his own safety…then I have taught him something."

"I'm coming with you…" Ken told the Captain as the two of them headed out the door, the Captain ran ahead of him to the marina and they boarded a speed boat and set out in the direction that Ken indicated that Ryu had gone in.

The sea was choppy and the seed was thrown around in the water as the ocean swell picked up, the dense rain made it hard for them to see, but Captain Nakanishi knew what he was doing.

He pointed to a cliff face and Ken could barley see the small white row boat that was bopping in the waves.

They made their way closer to Ryu's row boat, in the distance the other boat they had spotted earlier was breaking up on the rocks that Ryu was rowing away from.

It seemed to take forever for the two boats to meet up in the water, but Ken could see that Ryu had managed to save the man who was in the other boat, he was slumped in the bottom of the row boat but he was conscious.

Captain Nakanishi pulled Ryu's boat in closer with the rope Ryu tossed him, and then with help of all three of them they transferred the nervous man over to speed boat, despite the dark rain and the force of the wind.

Ken took one look at the man that they had just pulled on board…it was Dr.Nambu…


	20. Giuseppe

Ken walked through the door behind everyone else, the storm was still raging but it was not as fierce as it had been an hour before, the trip back into land had been uneventful, they stayed out at sea long enough for the storm to let up.

Captain Nakanishi allowed Ryu to row his boat into land and Ken had jumped in with him, so the young boy wouldn't be going in alone in the storm and he had to figure out what to do now that Dr.Nambu was here as well.

It hadn't really surprised him that much that Dr.Nambu was in the area, he had mentioned when Ryu came home with his that he met the young goofy looking boy in the Islands.

Ken had glanced at Ryu during the journey back to the mariner, he had doubts about him when they first met, even to the point of telling Dr.Nambu that there was no way he thought Ryu would be able to learn how to fly a ship and maybe he made a mistake.

But Dr.Nambu ignored his comments, and he even chuckled at the serious look on his face.

"You know I have a gut feeling that Ryu will be a _great _pilot and an asset to the team I decided to put together…just wait and see Ken, now I want you spend some time with him playing flight simulations…I have to away for a few days, and when I get back I want to see how your both doing." Then the Doctor went back to his paperwork and Ken huffed out of the room, he was still a boy then and he had much to learn about people, but Joe would be his match in temper and Ken learned to quickly curb his so he could be a good leader, that included following orders even when Joe protested.

He was pulled out of his memories by Mrs Nakanishi fussing over him that he'd end up ill again in those wet clothes…he backed of from her and took the dry towel and retreated to the room he had been staying in. He wanted to dry off but he was still coming to terms with the fact that she took off his clothes when he was sleeping, and she succeeded in not waking him.

He looked at the side table and he saw the yellowed piece of paper sitting there that he thought he had lost forever, he picked it up and closed his eyes for a moment and put to his lips, it was his reminder why had to make sure the future he was in didn't happen, then he put in his pocket.

He dried off he headed back out to the main living room, he wanted to hear what Nambu was doing here, he suspected he was looking for Galactor. All of trips involved his search to prove that a hostile organisation was forming, and would be a global threat in years to come.

"Captain Nakanishi have you seen any unusual activity lately in the area?" Dr.Nambu's voice came from the room as Ken stepped into the shadows of a corner of the room so he could listen.

"No…not lately…we picked up the young man who was with us tonight just over a week ago. But he was out on a boat as well and it sunk, that's what he told us,"

"He studies volcanos." Ryu offered and then he retreated to sit beside his jolly plump mother what was settling baby Senji for the night.

"Thank you Ryu…I'd like to speak to him." Dr.Nambu looked around the room and Ken went further into the shadows, when the doctor looked in the opposite direction he slipped out of the room and into the night outside.

The storm had blown over and all that was left was the pitter patter of light rain drops from the eaves of the house, the dirt road had turned to mud and the cloud cover made only the street lights brighter in the soot black sky.

Finally he found a place jetty that was almost empty of boats and he sat on the edge and watched the water gently roll into the shore line and rock the boats.

"There is always a dead calm ocean after a fierce storm." Dr.Nambu's quiet voice reached his ears and Ken looked up to see his mentor walking along the jetty with hardly and sound from his shoes as he sat down beside him.

For a moment Ken's heart started to pound, he didn't know why he wanted to avoid the doctor, and that disturbed him.

"Yeah…looks that way." Ken casually commented like they were meeting for the first time.

"I'm Dr.Nambu…and you're?" Nambu extended his hand to him and he sat patiently and waited, Ken didn't let him down he shook his hand and managed a small smile for him, I'm Kisho…"

Nambu nodded again in deep thought. "So you're here to study volcano's…" He quizzed Ken in a voice that didn't sound like he was convinced.

"Yeah…I'm still getting my degree in that area." Ken told him in an effort to put him off the scent.

But the doctor was a sharp man and Ken wondered if he really believed him, so they sat there in silence for some time before Ken got to his feet.

"I have to run doc…see ya." He tried to stay as casual as he could as jumped to his feet and began to walk up the jetty.

"So what brings back in time _Ken?"_ Dr.Nambu spoke only a little louder than normal but the silence of the mariner carried his voice like it was loud echo in his ear, it stopped him frozen in his tracks and he turned slowly to look back at Nambu who hadn't moved and inch from his spot on the jetty.

"Do we invent a time machine in the future?" Nambu could help but keep the look of wonder out of his eyes at the possibility of travelling through time.

"_We_ don't…but Galactor _do_." Ken walked back and sat down beside his mentor again, and he had to know.

"How did you know it was me?" Ken couldn't understand the broad smile that spread across Nambu's, he was acting strange as he slapped Ken on hard the back.

"I was_right,_ Galactor do exist…I'll put this project together now even if I have to fund it myself." Dr.Nambu declared. "I was about to abandon the whole project…the ISO almost had me convinced it was a fruitless idea to spend money on putting together a special fighting unit."

Now Ken understood why Nambu was so happy, Dr.Nambu was looking something to convince him he should put a special team together.

"So tell me Ken…how did you get here and don't leave out any details…report." Dr Nambu ordered.

So Ken told him from the time he left in the Cessna for his mail run, they sat there for hours talking about the events that had occurred.

"That cloud, you said you transmuted every time you went into it." Dr.Nambu mused as he played with his moustache in deep thought. "There has to something in the frequency of the transmuting process and the electrical charge of the cloud."

"Thought so too…but the last time I didn't transmute in the cloud." Ken pointed out as they brainstormed over how he got stuck in a time warp.

"Do you think you can stop it…?" Dr.Nambu was looking at him like he was studying a book for an exam.

"Yes…even if I die doing it…Berg Katse is the leader of the organisation, there is another higher up leader, but we know very little about him." Ken tried to fill in the gaps.

" Ken I think it has to do with the lightning that is being generated from the mecha itself…the first time you transmuted could have been enough to set it into a time warp and each time after that you just went along for the ride…Now you have destroy it…" Nambu shook his head." Time works in ways we are yet to fully understand…I need to know more…how can we combat them?" Dr.Nambu quizzed, Ken could tell he had so many questions, and Ken wanted to answer as many as he could. If he could stop Galactor early, then maybe his father would live and so would the others.

A minor sound stopped Ken from saying any more, he spotted the man dressed in black holding a rifle just in time to push Dr.Nambu into the water to avoid the bullet. Ken ran down the jetty after the departing assassin. He chased him down narrow muddy streets and he finally cornered him in a lane way as he pulled out his birdrang and struck the man in the back of his head knocking him to the ground.

A fight broke out between them and when Ken finally had the man pinned to the ground he pulled off the black sock from his head.

"Joe?" He asked looking into the familiar grey eyes and rugged face of a man who resembled his closest friend and brother.

"Who are you?" The man with a heavy Sicilian accent spat at him as he caught his breath, but Ken was able to hold him down with his foot.

"None of your business…why are trying to kill Dr.Nambu." Ken demanded, his strength was waning but he fought to hold the man down, he slowly bent down and picked up the mans rifle and cocked in his face.

That silent action enabled to Ken to be in full control of the situation the Sicilian showed Joe's stubborn nature and lack of fear as he sneered at Ken.

"I have orders…I'm a better marksman than any of the men I have under me, I do my own dirty work." The man spoke in disgust and he collapsed to his knees." If you are going to kill me then _do it_ now…send me back in a coffin to my widow and son. I…I…only do this for them."

He wasn't pleading with Ken like a weaker man would, he looked Ken straight in the eyes and challenged him to do it, just like Joe would.

"But why work for and organization like Galactor?" Ken didn't know why he was having this conversation with this man, but he was.

"Because I was weak and I gave into the money they offered…but I didn't know them well enough, and now they tell me they want my son to train for them, that to try to leave is death…my name is Giuseppe Asakura. You have something about you that tells me you are a trustworthy man…"

Little rain that was more like mist had started again, it was so fine it was only visible in the soft lights of the lamps that lined the street and the lamp that was close to the entrance of the alleyway.

By this time Dr.Nambu had caught up with them, he was standing at the end of the alley, Ken indicated that he still show caution.

"Is what you want for your son…" Ken asked in a calm voice. "Do want him to be an assassin?" He was testing his waters with this man, and the fact that he looked so much like Joe…just maybe…

"No!!" The man spoke with determination. "But I have no choice…Galactor would kill them both if I try to leave."

The next one who spoke was Dr.Nambu. "But you still can leave, you have a choice…I can help you."

"How?" Giuseppe asked him like the Doctor was telling him tales…Ken cocked the gun and put out his hand to help him to his feet.

"I'll forgive the fact that you tried to kill me…I take it as a compliment, it means I'm getting closer to them." Nambu looked closely at the Giuseppe, he pulled out a business card and handed it him. "If you really want to get out…then contact me and I'll help your wife and son escape as well."

Giuseppe took the card and quickly put it into a pocket." I will, I don't want this life for George…my wife she cries all the time that he will die fighting the wrong cause one day if we stay, he's a good son and he tells me he wants a brother, but wife doesn't want to try for another baby until we are safe from Galactor…"

He gave Ken a cocky smile that made him look like an older version of his son. "I could have killed Nambu and you…I missed on purpose, but I wanted to make contact, but I needed to know if you were the right person who could help me."

"Go then…" Nambu indicated and Giuseppe Asakura nodded as his steel grey eyes ran over the two of them again and he disappeared into the night.

Silently they walked out of the alley and into the street. "You have to help him doctor…but be careful, Galactor will find out and kill them, so don't waste anytime when he contacts you…tell him to get his family to safe place for you to meet up with him."

"You know this man in the future?" Dr.Nambu asked.

"No." Ken shook his head. "His son will be my second in command."

Nambu raised an eyebrow as he looked at Ken sideways." And the rest of the team…how will I find them Ken."

"Ryu is right here…the pilot I have ever flown with other than my father." He looked at Nambu and watched as Nambu drew in a sharp breath.

"So you know about him…" Ken could tell that it cause Nambu pain as he watched him, suddenly Ken realized something he had been blind to for so long.

Dr.Nambu raised him as his own son for so many years, Kentaro Washio was a military leader…but stopped being his father the day he left him when he was four years old, from that time on he was a mentor as a pilot, but they never had a father son relationship.

Talking to Nambu was different, he could see fatherly pride in his eyes…his quest to find his biological father had blinded him to father he had had all these years.

"Thank you…" He found himself saying and he stopped in the street and turned and faced Dr.Nambu and he put his hands on his shoulder. "Thank you for everything you have ever done for me…it may take me years to realize it, but you're my real father."

Tears welled up in Nambu's eyes and he blinked them away. "I…I…It's alright Ken, I wanted to get married and have a family and lead a life of science and teach my children…" He stopped and gathered in his emotions. "Well not to worry, I guess I just never met the right woman who shared my passion for saving the planet, who wasn't already married."

Ken chuckled to lighten the moment. "So are you going to take Ryu back with to Utoland, don't worry if I get huffy at first because I think he's goofy and not smart enough to be a pilot, I'll get over it."

This statement made Nambu laugh and together they walked back to Ryu's house, it had been quite a night and Ken needed sleep so he could set out the next day to find Akiya and a plane so he could destroy Katse and his storm Mecha…

"So what about the last team member…How will I find him?" This made Ken laugh even harder.

"You will find her…and the fifth at an orphanage from what I know…If I run into her then I'll tell her to look out for you." Ken smiled at the surprised Nambu.

"But I only intended four team members…" He scratched his head. "What's her name."

"Jun…"Ken told him and smiled at the memory of her sweet face.

Dr.Nambu looked at him thoughfully."You say her name with a lot of affection…could she be a liability to the team if she distracts you from your duty."

They stood at the door of the house that Ryu lived in.

"She's not a distraction…but if you put someone else in her place because you think that then we will definitely lose to Galactor…the team will need her so it can function."

"Red Impulse won't like me putting a woman on the team." Dr.Nambu mused more to himself.

"Red Impulse better learn to like it doctor…trust me." Ken clenched his jaw at that indication that his father was against Jun being on the team, he was learning more about his 'ideas' all the time.

"I'm leaving in the morning…" Ken told him.

"Have you got time for a night cap?" Nambu asked him.

"Sure." Ken told him as he stifled a yawn, he would always have time for Dr.Nambu, and he would have to say goodbye for now to Ryu.

He had places to go and friend to save, and he felt his time was limited as the flow of time continued wether he liked it or not.


	21. A cry from the River…

Very early the next morning Ken quiet got out of bed, he left a thank you note for the Nakanishi family on the dinning room table, he had told Mr and Mrs Nakanishi that he was leaving the night before and when he looked at the bag on the table he smiled, she had put together a travel packed lunch and some other pieces of food. Ryu came from a kind generous family, and it was reflected in his nature.

He hesitated at Dr.Nambu door but he decided against going in, they had talked into the early hours of the morning, Dr.Nambu warned him that to much interference could have the opposite affect of what they both wanted to achieve if he tried to stop to many future events.

The effect that it had on Dr.Nambu when asked Ken to transmute was astonishing, they went outside to a location not far from the house, Ken didn't realize that at that point in time they had not perfected the process of transmuting from civilian to Birdstyle, it wasn't until about 18 months later in the time he was in now that they began to train in birdstyles…

"It _does_work…I kept tell them that it will, my funding is being cut next month if I don't produce a full working Birdstyle. I think I know what's happening with the process now…the word '_Birdgo'_is needed tocomplete the process." Dr.Nambu put his finger on his chin in deep thought. "I wonder why?"He looked at him thoughtfully." Do it again Ken…I need to see how it works…" So Ken did it again several times for the Doctor, after the third time he smiled broadly, something Dr.Nambu rarely did. "It's the signal, the voice pitch must be tuned into the user's voice patterns…mmm…our prototypes produce deadly levels of radiation that would kill you during the transmutation. There a few other alterations to it I have seen from the end result you have just showed me, well I'll look into as soon as get back to Utoland. "He let out a long breath from all the information he had been processing in his brain. "And we need to change the style of civilian clothing from business attire to casual…Now if only you had the Cessna…" He mused quietly.

Later that night Dr.Nambu promised to help Joe's parents and warn them that Galactor knows he's trying to defect and they will send an assassin to kill them all. If Ken could help Joe in that way…well at least it was something.

They both agreed that if Galactor could be stopped now from growing to powerful, then the planet would benefit from Ken knowledge of future events.

Ken's mission now was to go back into the cloud and succeed in destroying the cloud and close the gap that it was passing through in time. So Ken instead walked further down the hallway.

Ken couldn't help but stop by Ryu's bedroom on his way out the door.

He looked in on the sleeping boy and smiled. "See you soon Ryu…I hope." He whispered as he looked at him. And then he left the house quietly.

It didn't take long for him to get a lift that was heading in the right direction towards the Himalayan Mountains, the truck driver was not a talker and that suited Ken.

He was still toying with the idea to go and find his father…maybe just maybe…he thought, after he helps Akiya.

A few hours later the truck driver dropped him off at a service station.

He waited for a while to get another ride and finally he managed to get in the back of a Ute half filled with hay bales. It took two days to reach the bottom of the mountains but his trek wasn't going to take him far into the mountain ranges, he skirted around the perimeter in a cross country trek that took him about half a day, even though he'd never been to these parts before, he knew where he was going, the map Akiya had instilled in his mind showed him the way.

He managed to kill a deer not far from the place he was going, and he cut off as much meat as he could carry, he wrapped the bloody venison in a cloth and continued his search for his friend.

It was late afternoon when he came across the cave. "Akiya." He called out as he approached, he knew with her that sneaking up wouldn't be a good idea. "Akiya its Ken..."

He looked inside the cave to see her perched in a corner- her feathers looked dull and she was barely able to raise her head.

Ken he put his bag down along with the food he had for her as he walked over as she tilted her head to look at him.

"I'm sorry I too so long…" He was feeling like he should have left as soon as he had made contact with her.

"You did what you had to do…" She whispered in his mind." I need to teach how to protect your mind…I sense him."

"Sense who?" Ken asked as he stole a glance behind him.

"Sosai Xeng, he's in this time I know it…I have managed to block what I could from him, but I can feel that he is seeking me, if I can feel him. Then he can feel my life strands as well." She looked at him with dull amber eyes." I feel you should not stay with me…I should have told you to go and find your own people…Xeng is dangerous." He voice was full of regret.

Ken narrowed his eyes and pursed his lips at the thought of this Xeng. "He thinks a lot of himself this Xeng." He told her as casually as he could as he went over get the venison out of the bag he had put it in. "You cared for me Akiya when I was ill, now it my turn…"

"Can you cook it for me?" She asked him.

"You cook your meat!" He asked her in surprise.

"Yes…raw meat is uncivilized…why wild animals eat that way and my flame takes a great deal of energy that I do not have right now…" She responded with a curl tone which he chose to ignore.

So Ken set about making a small fire at the entrance of the cave, a short while later just on dark he helped Akiya feed from the stick he presented as she tore at the cooled venison.

"I'll get us some water…the river isn't far." He said as he picked up his water flask and headed out of the cave as she closed her eyes to rest.

It was still light but from the way the smouldering burnt orange sun was sinking in the sky he figured he didn't have long before he was in the dark, the crunch of fine branches under foot and the fresh smell of wet leaves reached his nostrils and made him feel more alive than he had felt in weeks.

He reached the running river in no time and as he bent to fill his flask he heard a female scream echo from the other side of the fast flowing river. He looked up in time to see a young girl was trapped in the current. Ken acted fast and from his natural instinct to help he dove into the icy cold river and swam as fast as he could over to the girl who was being dragged under the water by something.

He called out to her as he saw her disappear under the water, they were fast approaching the worst part of the rapids and he swam harder to the point that her saw her go under the problem was she didn't come up again, after struggling against the rapid swirling water his feet caught something soft, so he dove under the water and he could see that her foot was caught by a rock, and she was only being moved by the current now as her black hair swirled around a deathly pale face as the last rays of sunlight shone through the crystal clear water. He got a hold of he waist and he reached down and pulled her leg free, then holding her close in his arms he swan to the surface.

The loud roar of the rapids hit his ears as he broke through the surface and he took a deep long awaited breath as he took in his situation, the flow of the water up a head warned him that things were about to get worse if he didn't get them to shore soon.

By this time she flopped like a rag doll in his arms and he noted she wasn't breathing, so he desperately needed to get her to the shore, but they were in the middle of the river and the current was strong.

Ken managed to get the young girl to an exposed rock close to the edge of the river., it wasn't easy to hold onto her and swim at the same time against the current but he managed by sheer will.

Finally Ken pushed her up onto the rock and then he climbed up behind her. He worked fast to administer first aid as he emptied her lungs of water and began to give her the breath of life.

After what seemed like an eternity she began to breathe again, she opened her eyes and for a split second as she tried to focus on him with a pair of familiar green eyes. He didn't have time to notice the face of the young girl who looked to no more than ten years old.

"Jun!" He said without thinking.

"I don't know you…" She croaked as he stared at her.

"I…ahhh." He had to think quickly. "We have get off this rock, now I need you to hold onto me tight…"

She nodded weakly at his request and he put his arms around her tiny waist and helped back into the current as he made his way back to the side of the river.

She passed out again from exhaustion so he pulled her up onto the bank of the river. He was exhausted himself but he picked her up in his arms and he walked back along the river bank, he managed to pick up his water flask that he had abandoned in his rescue and headed back to the cave.

When he finally got there he assessed her as Akiya watched him with hawk like intent as wrapped a blanket around Jun and placed her close to the small fire. He watched her young face in the flickering light as she lay still unconscious from the almost drowning. Her heart shaped face and soft white silky skin framed with hair so black it gave of greenish highlights. She was so tiny as a ten year old girl with small delicate hands and big innocent green eyes and a soft nature that had a spark to it when she got angry.

But she looked now, as he remembered Jun as a young boy seeing her for the first time…

_He wondered then if she was tough enough to handle the training schedule that Dr.Nambu had outlined to them, but after the first day when she floored him with a move he didn't anticipate they became good friends after that, and they found that they worked well together as a team, within a team, she even began to hang out with him and Joe and as kids the three of them could get up to a lot of mischief around the mansion. _

_Those days were full of fun despite the long hours they all spent training together. _

He was snapped back to the present by the slight twitching of her eyelid as her lashes moved like tiny fine black feathers against her porcelain skin.

He stole a glance at Akiya but she had retreated into the shadows for some reason, like she just wanted to observe them.

Jun opened her eyes slowly, and then he watched a slight panic take over as the little girl looked at her surroundings and at him.

"You're the man who pulled me out of the river." She stared at him openly with wide eyes of wonder as Ken stood up.

"Yeah that was me, what were you doing there?" He enquired casually.

"I was collecting rocks…for my, ahhh never mind. Where am I?" She sat up and pushed away the blanket.

"You're in a cave, I didn't know where to take you because you passed out, but I have to get you back home little girl. I'm sure your parents are missing you by now…" He knew someone would have to be getting worried about her, although he knew she was an orphan it was better not to let on that he knew her. Ken figured it would raise to many questions and it could disrupt things in the future for her, if he hadn't done too much of that already.

"No one will miss me…except maybe Jin…well I'm just an orphan in place that houses one hundred other kids just like me." She looked so sad as she spoke.

"Don't say that…what's your name?" He asked quietly.

This time her eyes narrowed in suspicion as she looked at him. "You said my name before I passed out…_how _you know me?"

He should have known not underestimate her, Jun was sharp and should have realized she'd remember something like that.

"You looked like a friends daughter…she's called Jun, and when I first looked at you I thought you was her, but she's a bit older and realized my mistake later." Ken knew it was a dodgy cover, and a lie, but would have to do for now.

"Well…My name _is _Jun." She told him as she stood up and adjusted her damp plain cotton dress. "I don't know my last name, so it's just Jun."

"Damn it…" She bit her bottom lip in worry. "I lost my shoe…Maggie won't be happy with me."

Ken laughed out loud at her worried expression- he had seen that expression on an older version of this girl when she lost a much more important shoe in an amusement park many years later.

"Stope laughing at me, you don't know what she's like…" Jun's tone him she didn't like Maggie.

He picked up some food from his pack and he offered her some. Jun took the dried biscuit and ate it fast.

"This is good…" She said with a full mouth and she looked at his bag for more. The biscuits were home made by Ryu's mother, so he pulled out another one.

Well thanks for the biscuit I have to be going…my brother needs me." She announced and she ran out the cave entrance.

Akiya was now taking an interest. "You mate is not mature in this time, but really Ken the Eagle…you should at least not let her run off in the dark alone like that." She pointed out to him.

He hesitated for a minute. "Ahhh… what the heck," he sighed in defeat and he ran out of the cave after her…


	22. The battle of wills

Ken ran out into the pitch black night, the half moon only shed a small amount of light through the trees as Ken looked quickly to see which direction she had gone in.

The breaking of a fallen tree branch gave her location away. He darted in that direction and he spotted her up ahead of him as he followed her, she seemed to know the terrain very well as she ran faster. Suddenly she disappeared and he stopped and slowly began to look around to see if she fell over or worse.

"Stay right there." He heard her voice behind him as something hard poked him in the back. "Tell me what you _really_ want?"

"Jun…I'm not going to hurt you, I just wanted to make sure you got home OK." He told her truthfully, and he admired her sense of caution, he looked behind him as pushed the weapon harder into his back. "Will you put that down Jun, if I was going to kidnap or do something to hurt I would have tied you up back at the cave." He was getting annoyed with her now.

He heard her sigh and she emerged from the shadows of the tree behind him. "You know there is something about you…I just can't place it, because I know I have never met you before you saved my life." She looked hard at him in the soft moonlight that made her white skin look florescent as she lowered the sharp stick that she was holding in her hand.

"And is that way of saying thank you?" Ken tapped the end of the stick.

"I guess not…" She replied and lowered her head in shame. "I just don't trust many people, whey get close to someone when they only abandon you."

Ken noted the sadness in her voice as she spoke,"but you said something about Jin back at the cave," he knew who she was referring to, but he tried to act ignorant anyway.

She dropped the stick to ground and looked into the dark woods as she spoke. "He's kinda like a brother I guess, well we hang out together a lot and he calls me sis. He's only been at this orphanage for a few weeks…he ran away from the last one. I was going to run away from here too, I was thinking about it when I spotted something shiny in the river. But then I' should take him with me if I do that."

Ken was alarmed to hear her talking like this,"do they treat you badly?" he asked concern filled his voice and he put his hands on her shoulders.

"It's just…well not too badly I guess, except Maggie tells me I'll amount to nothing." She started to say, she was struggling with words but he stood patiently and waited for her to finish what she was trying to say." I don't want to grow up do something worthwhile with my life…Maggie said that because I'm a girl and an orphan…well I shouldn't make to many plans, but I'm smart…and I read very well."

He smiled at her warmly, and put a finger under her chin and tilted her face up to look at him. "Jun I have a good feeling that your dreams will happen for you, now lets get you back to your brother." He decided he didn't like Maggie.

They walked for about an hour in silence, until Ken saw a large complex with soft lights in the distance.

"Got ya sis!" The sound of a small boy's voice reached his ears and Jinpei jumped out at them.

"Scared ya didn't I sis!" The small boy teased merrily as Jun scolded him.

"What are you doing here?" She demanded with her hands on her hips and an annoyed expression on her face.

"Maggie's really mad at you this time Sis…I waited for you to warn you because she's looking for you, so who's your new friend sis…" He winked with a cheeky smile looked up her.

"Thanks Jinpei…" she calmed down a little at his warning."I don't know his name." She turned and looked at Ken and she gave him warm almost shy smile and a flutter of her dark lashes and adoring green eyes.

"My name is Kisho." He offered as his name.

"Well…_Kisho_…"She smiled radiantly as she said his name." I guess this is goodbye." She put out her small delicate hand, he took her fingers into his and they shook hands.

"I'll see around Jun…it was great talking to you." He watched the pair of them walk towards the complex.

And he listened to the strands of the conversation between them as it reached his ears.

"I saw the way you were flirting with him sis…you like him a lot."

"I…think he's nice, he just helped me out that's all." Jun said defending herself against his accusations.

"I _bet_you have a huge crush on him." Jinpei taunted her.

"You're only five, what do you know about girls and boys?' She asked him.

"Jun and Kisho...sitting in a tree K-I-S-S-I-N-G." Then Ken heard a whack and Jinpei whimper.

"Ouch!!! sis…you can be sooo mean sometimes." he huffed as they disappeared into the black night.

He turned around and headed back to the cave.

8888888888

When Ken returned to the cave he couldn't find Akiya. He looked towards the river and he saw a soft light so he went in that direction, as he approached the banks he saw a woman standing there who was surrounded by soft lights, like she glowed, but she didn't at the same time.

He now realized as he stared at her that he had met her briefly before.

She turned her beautiful face and she smiled at him with perfectly shaped rose coloured lips, for Ken it was like walking into a dream.

"Who are you?" He asked as he approached her.

'Who are we all…?" She told him as her elegant hands bent down and scooped up some water, she let it trickle through her long fingers. "I wondered what it would be like to walk as you do." She looked towards the skies." But the ability to fly is so much more-" She looked back at him knowingly her red golden hair glowed like the first rays of dawn as it spread out like a fan as she bent down to touch the water again.

"This is not possible." Ken it dawn on him as she touched his mind and linked it with hers as he began to look through her leaf green eyes, the amber highlights seemed to sparkle like embers of a dying fire. "You can't be Akiya…Akiya is a Phoenix."

"I am what I am…you are right in saying that I am a firebird, but we have the ability to change shape if we desire too, or if it meets our need to intimidate another race." She let out a musical laugh and took his hands in hers.

"Come…the moonlight enables me to draw on its power…and I have much to teach you this night." She looked at him playfully and he had no other choice then to follow her as she lightly ran along the banks.

Ken wondered if she would ever stop surprising him, and that's when she jumped into the water from a cliff face that wasn't very steep pulled him in with her.

They swam to the other side of the river and collapsed on the banks lying close to each other.

She got to her feet and pulled him up with her. "I feel so free when I am with you…you remind me so much of Somue…"

For some reason Ken's heart pounded wildly when he looked at her flawless face, was it her soft green eyes and white skin? He wasn't sure.

Suddenly she was in his arms and her soft lips were on his, and for a moment he accepted her kiss, her lips inviting and the kiss deepened, Ken thought he was losing his mind and his soul in that moment as her mind penetrated his thoughts she began to show him how to put walls up to guard his mind, and ways to tap into places in his mind that he had never thought of before.

When they finally parted he was breathless, and his mind was like a book that he only knew the cover of but never really looked inside at its potential. The sounds around him became crystal clear as he looked deeply into her eyes.

Her voice rang clearly even though her lips didn't move." Guard your mind…Xeng can destroy you through it and control you if he gets close enough." Akiya warned him, her long elegant fingers were still woven through his hair and their faces were only inches apart as she spoke to him and her warm sweet breath promised him the world and all his hearts desires.

But Ken just continued to stare into her leaf green eyes.

This time he kissed her softly again, it was like he had come under some kind of spell that he couldn't resist her. She let his mouth explore hers and his lips trailed her neck as her dress fell from her body, she began to undress him as she spoke into his mind." You have to learn to resist me…" she enticed him to fight her charms, but he didn't want to, he wanted to make love to this woman who resembled a goddess, Ken soon realized the true reason behind her kiss as he fought the battle in his mind and his emotions.

But they fell onto the soft grass together and he fought the need for the pleasure of the woman with supple breasts that crushed under his weight and he felt the satin smooth skin that was beneath his as body felt like it was on fire from the heat that radiated between them, she parted her legs to invite him in…he felt the tip of his manhood as she massaged it between her fingers and placed him just inside her so all he had to was…

Then something that felt like icy cold water washed over his body and he needed to break free before he lost himself completely.

Finally he managed to push her mind from his and he set walls in place that she couldn't enter if he chose not to let her, and her hold on his emotions began to wain as he broke off the kiss with some regret and rolled of her before it could go any further, his heart was still racing and his body cried out in pain from a desire that was unfulfilled, as he dared look back at the naked woman on the grass next to him, her hair exceptionally long curly golden red hair was fanned out around her and the bluish moonlight playing on her soft curves making her look even more beautiful.

She reached over and moved down on his body and helped him release the build up from him as he cried out the wonderful feeling that ran through his body as she finished pleasuring him, he looked at her for a moment before he collapsed onto the grass with relief.

As she looked up and smiled softly at him for the first time since they had began this journey he noticed a pendant around her neck, she lifted the golden disk with unusual marking off from around her neck and she pressed it into his hand. "When the time comes…you'll know what to do with it." He couldn't help but embrace her closely as he felt the soft press of her breasts against him and the gently curves of her body as he ran his fingers through her long damp golden red hair, it was hard to imagine she was anything else but a flesh and blood human being in his arms…

Finally she gently pushed herself away from him. "You did well Ken the Eagle…this has drained me of the energy I had built up, but it had to be done." They finally stood up and dressed, and he held onto her as her knees buckled and he lifted the timeless woman into his arms and carried her back to the cave, he laid her down in the place that Akiya had made for herself and he watched as she drifted into a slumber.

He walked over and picked up his blanket and laid down on the other side of the cave and looked at her through the smouldering embers of the dying fire, during that kiss he had explored emotions that he had locked away in a box for safe keeping in his mind, he fought with her to keep the box closed tight.

The Jun as a grown woman came into his mind, and for a short while it was not Akiya he was kissing and about to make love to, it was Jun…and he didn't want to stop the flood of emotions and longing that came into during those intense moments of a kiss he would never forget.


	23. Lightening of the soul

Ken woke up early the next morning with a jolt as he broke free of the dream he was having or was the beginning of it s dream but the end a nightmare…he was still trying to figure it out, as the dream was so real in his mind.

He tried to blink but the warm sunlight was streaming into his eyes as he squinted to allow his eyes to get used to the gush of sudden light.

He looked back down at his blanket as he tried to sort out in his head what happened with that beautiful fair skinned red haired woman, he felt out of control in those moments, but then he had total control of what his body was doing, that was what he was having trouble with.

She invaded his privacy inside his subconscious mind and invited him to fight her mentally while she gave him pleasure.

He went over some of the events of the evening in his mind again and again…but still it made no sense to him.He had spent the rest of the night dreaming of being with Jun the same way in the future time he had left...

_This time instead of swimming together with nothing physical happening between them…in his dream they made love in the surf that made them both scream out with the pleasure that they both felt… and on the beach they reach a climax together like he had never felt before in his life. In Ken's dream they just couldn't get enough of each other…finally he would look up to see Joes hurt betrayed grey eyes as Ken became aware that he was watching them._

_Joe wordlessly turned and walked to the edge of the cliff, and like changing scenes in a motion picture… Jun was holding Ken's hand and neither of them were moving towards the Condor that pulled out his weapons and threw at their feet, and then he jumped off the cliff as it registered in Kens mind what was happening and in slow painful motion he tried to reach for the Condor as he fell over the cliff…but Ken was too late._

_"__Jooooeeeee…..Nooooooo" he screamed out to his brother as he crashed on the rocks below dead…_

Ken shook his head to remove the cobwebs and confusion of the wonderful but intense dream he had, was it a dream, or was it real? He asked himself.

"Does it_matter_…?" Akiya's voice filled his mind and he shut her out as he slammed up a wall.

"Good, I'm happy to see last nights lesson wasn't a total waste of time." She spoke outside of his mind this time she gave him her approval like a school teacher complimenting a small child on an excellent result.

"It matters to _me_," He finally managed to say forcefully as he looked over at the spot he laid her down on last night to see Akiya perched there as her normal bird like self, he knew his tone of voice was harsh, but now he was angry with her, she had seduced him, and he had betrayed all he loved in those lustful moments.

"Really…you could have stopped it from happening much sooner…" She threw back at him. "You didn't enter me…but you wanted to desperately."

Ken sat back on his elbows." I don't like the thought that I…well…I…you know…almost had sex with….you know what I mean." He threw himself onto his back in frustration and folded his arms behind his head as he stared at the ceiling while he tried to get his brain to function correctly for him.

"You_almost_ mated totally with a human female last night…it was very close but you drew back in time with your mind to stop me from consuming you totally…You physically did so as well." She explained.

"How can you be a bird, and a woman?" He sat back up again so fast he saw stars, as his vision cleared he saw the most incredible thing happen as he watched her transform before his eyes into the woman he held in his arms the night before.

"I don't want you as my lover…" He curtly told her.

"T knows you don't but if you want to protect her…then you must learn to close those thoughts from Xeng…or he will use them to destroy you." She told him like she was trying to get a child to listen to her."_ All_ you hold of value will be _his_ is you can't control your subconscious mind…I could see your desires clearly from what you think you can hide by locking it away….you want her so much, but it is your biggest fear at the same time, if you deny it then she will be his slave…he will make it so just to cause you eternal pain." Her tone was vigorous, but she was trying to tell him something.

"What makes _you _such an expert on _me?" _He yelled back as his hand made a fist and he scolded her as he looked at the Phoenix.

"I told you I needed to teach you how to control your thoughts…if you think just be shutting out your need for love can protect those that you love the most from being hurt…or your own heart…then you are greatly mislead." Her tone was condescending and she looked at him with flaring amber eyes.

"You know my heart is with Jun…so you tried to-"3

"NO!!!" she cries out." I do not want your love in that way…but she does, and you must know how to give it and not hold back…"

Ken was confused by this conversation, "So you mean that to protect her, I must not hold back but at the same time…stop Xeng from knowing she is my weakness?" He was wondering how he was to achieve that as he glared at her." But last night…"He let out an angry hot breath; he didn't want another woman no matter how perfect she seemed.

"Finally you admit it to yourself."Akiya said gently. "Love, is not all about the physical appearance…or lust, but what you give…you wanted pleasure, but when you realized it was for yourself only you resisted…and you stopped_ before_ you entered the woman I was…you didn't _want me_ for your soul mate…Jun is your_soul _mate, but for you to constantly deny this you lose your reason to keep fighting….and living."

The weight of what she was saying hit him, his needed to protect his friends, but to do this he needed to show he cared, he closed his eyes that felt like lead weights and he tried to process all of this as he sluggishly opened them, she had allowed him to explore _all_ of his emotions, but he gained control of him mind and his body and his emotions in a way he never had before.

"You know nothing of your brain, your capacity to be more than what you are but dare to question me in the lessons that I teach you." She spoke like an empress before her general.

He watched as her huge body shimmered and as the outlines became fuzzy a fire from inside her seemed to ignite as she seemed to step out of the brief roaring flame it become an icy blue light and then everything returned to normal, except that now Akiya was a human woman.

Ken found himself retreating against the cave wall as she walked over to him, she had an elegance and authority that she had never displayed before, and he felt fear enter him as he watched her. She was of a race that was so advanced in their subconscious minds it was overwhelming.

"Stay away from me!" He hissed as she extended her elegant hand to touch his face.

"You were not so hesitant last night…I have no lessons of the flesh and the subconscious mind to teach you now." She winked at him as she walked away; her bare feet seemed to glide across the floor.

He looked at her for sometime, he still had much to learn from her, but he was now beginning to understand some of the depth of reasoning she was trying to explain to him.

His love for Jun could exist on more than one level, but Sosai Xeng would try to use his feeling for those he loved against him even if he kept them hidden, Sosai could unlock his mind. If he ever encountered him then he knew most of the battle would not be with mere physical weapons…

Ken looked at the gold amulet that was around his neck on a fine gold chain and he was about to ask Akiya about it when he noticed she was looking out the mouth of the cave, and she gave him a knowing smile as Ken's eyes followed her gaze to the girl that was standing at the mouth of the cave staring at Akiya.

"Kisho?" Jun said hesitantly as her green eyes locked with Akiya's.

He sat up and he began to address her," It's alright she's-"But Akiya interrupted him.

"She's your girlfriend isn't she?" Jun's face saddened a little as if she was disappointed, this made Ken's jaw drop and he didn't know what to say next to that, Jun at this point in time was too young for him.

But then she brightened as she walked into the cave and over to him and she held out a plate with a cloth over it.

"I did some cooking with Emily this morning…She's my friend…I thought you might like some." Jun turned and looked at Akiya and she politely offered then to her as well. Akiya inclined her head gracefully in response to Jun's offer and took one.

Ken had hesitated when he saw the very deep shade of brown biscuits, and he forced a smile knowing they would be hard as rocks, but he didn't want to hurt Jun's feelings by showing his fear of her cooking skills.

Akiya raised an eyebrow, his thoughts were now in sync with hers and she looked at her biscuit with curiosity written all over her perfect features.

Jun smiled brightly at them both. "I guessed that you were just passing through-" She started before Jinpei came running into the cave.

"Sis you didn't give him a biscuit did you…" But the small boy noted what Ken had in his hand and he sighed.

"Sis…you need to learn how not to burn them first….no man will want you-"

"Jinpei….it's OK, this is pretty good." He said as he tried to take a bite, Jun's look of gratitude was worth the tooth ache he got from the force he used to bite into the over baked biscuit.

Akiya excused herself, as he took the two kids outside the cave with him….

They mucked around for a few hours, he talked about some areas of science with Jun and he told her he was interested in thing reguarding storms and unusal events, he told her he was a scientist, and he was researching the effects that storms could have in the Himalayas, Akiya was his assistant.

After a while he began to watch the future Swallow as he attacked a tree with a stick and his body as he tried to kick it.

"Do what to learn a few moves?" Ken offered.

"Sure!" The swallow excitedly ran over to him.

"When I was studying I went a martial arts class." He explained as he showed the Swallow and Jun the basics for the rest of the afternoon.

"I'm a black belt now right!" Jinpei called out as he tried to kick Jun who deflected his strike with ease.

"Humpf!" She told him as he fell to the ground, Ken laughed at the two of them as remembered the small boy that arrived in Utoland with Jun…

_Jinpei wasn't going to be on the team, being a five year old kid at the time they began to seriously form as a team. But the little squirt just had been there at all the training sessions and he was always getting under the Condors feet._

"_Swallow; get out from under my feet!!" Joe grunt at him. "If you insist on being there then you should at least know how to punch." So Joe hauled him to his feet and showed Jinpei how to go into a fighters stance, the Swallow mimicked the Condor._

"_It's the Mighty Swallow to you Condor." Jinpei puffed out his chest bravely and they were all in fits of laughter as he then punched Joe hard in the stomach and he smiled as Joe gave him a Condor look, but it soon turned into a nod of approval as the boy showed his agility._

"_Swallow!!!" Jinpei cried in delight." Ken does that mean I'm on the team now…I have a name; all I need is a Birdstyle…" Jinpei looked at Dr.Nambu with glints of excitement in his eyes, and from that day on he began to train with the rest of them as a member of the team…_


	24. Dimensions in time

Ken was dragged out of his childhood memories by Jun's inquisitive green eyes,

"A penny for your thoughts." She asked him with a slight smile forming on her soft delicate pink lips.

He looked down at the ground he was sitting on and he picked a blade of grass, "I was just thinking about the future…" He looked at her and smiled broadly as he could see the woman she would become eventually.

"Am I in your future?" She asked giving him a side long glance before she looked back her brother who was challenging a pretend enemy to fight him. Then she added quickly. "Since we are friends…"

Her pretty green eyes and soft smiles even at this age warmed his heart,"I want to be your friend Jun, so I guess we'll keep in touch." He knew he was promising something that wouldn't happen since he was trying to get back to the time he left, but it was what his heart wanted anyway. They sat in silence for some time before Jun spoke again.

"Akiya is so beautiful… If only I looked like her." Jun sighed dreamily.

"Jun…what makes you think your not beautiful?" Ken looked at the young girl sharply as she continued to watch her brother.

"Because I'm not…I'm just plain and skinny." She picked up a stand of her long black hair and examined it critically." If I had hair that had some colour to it…and I was taller…" She sighed again as she let the strand drop; she went to get up when Ken put his hand on her shoulder.

"Look at me Jun..."He waited until she lifted her eyes to look into his." You have the prettiest hair and eyes I have ever seen…" That brought a smile to her face and he meant every word.

She looked up at the sky towards the setting sun and she looked over at her brother and then back at him with a look of regret passing across her face.

"Thanks for today, we have to get back and I have to think up a reason we were away all day…getting lost in the woods is wearing thin with Maggie."

He agreed it was getting late and like the day before he walked them home…

8888888

The next few days went like much like that; the strange night he spent with Akiya went to the back of his mind like something that happened to another person and not him.

He was speaking to her again and he noticed she retained her human form; she was the greatest mystery he had ever come across. He felt an attraction there, but it was not one he wanted to become familiar with, there was a strange chemistry between them, but is wasn't romantic in the sense that he was in love with her as a woman or other wise.

It was something he just couldn't figure out- he wondered if he ever would…

Jun brought up science books that she like to read, and one amongst them was on someone's theory of the movement of time. This book proved interesting and when Jun saw him reading it she began to talk excitedly about the authors theories.

They talked for a full morning on why she felt time didn't move in a straight line, and that maybe there were portals that could be opened accidentally. Other dimensions in Jun's theory were just shifts in events caused by people who slipped through these portals. She was so smart for a girl who was no more than ten years old, he thought, no wonder she stood out to Dr.Nambu.

She opened the book to a particular page." See it says here- 'time moves regardless of where we are in space or on Earth, but isn't necessarily in a straight line like it is often shown, there are at least twelve dimensions of time. Currently we only know, or work in four.'"

She could tell he didn't fully comprehend what she was saying. "Kisho, lets say that you were thrown into another time…let's say the future."

"Alright…tell more on what you think." He smiled as ran a finger over his lips considering he was moving through time, any ideas he could get on how it worked were welcome.

She was excited now as she sat cross legged with the book in her lap and Ken was lying back on the wall just inside the cave with his hands casually behind his head.

"Well when you got there you would probably find you missed a pocket of time, but really it just that part of the dimension, so if you know the worm hole…or the transport that took you there then you could in theory get back to the same time you left, it would be tricky but you have to find a way to time it." She looked lost in her theorising as she mused over it as she began flicking through the book.

"Well, how's this." Ken was really getting into this conversation, and he noticed Akiya had slipped into the cave silently. "That dimensions are all one in the same, time is not made up of past present future…but more it just is…"he slowed down as he wondered where that idea came from.

"Very good…" Akiya. "Time has no seams, it is just fluid motion…and Jun is right in saying that the planes of time don't just go in a straight line, but the idea of a whole in the dimension that could cause time to accelerate within it…you take out important elements and you get a _different _result…so to _change_ it you have to find a way to put other elements in at the right point in the flow…maybe a storm cloud that is stuck in between planes and it drops back in at certain times constantly could be a vehicle to take you to that exact moment that you want to be in...You just have to know how to use it."

Akiya hinted as she looked into his eyes for a moment, before he broke contact and looked back at Jun who was looking at the two of them with great interest.

"I see, so when I go back I have to control this ahhh object…point it into the right part of the fracture in the dimension and go through it and then make sure the vehicle is destroyed before it get sucked back into the place in between…" He hopped to his feet and picked Jun up and swirled her around and kissed the little girl on the cheek that made her blush as she shyly smiled at him as he put her down again.

"What was that for?' She asked excited." Not that I'm complaining."

"Jun…you just gave me an idea…but I have to think about it some more…you truly are a gem." He hugged her and she threw her arms around his neck and gave him a light kiss on the cheek.

Akiya raised a perfect eyebrow and gave him a slight smile of approval, but she said nothing.

Later that night Ken walked them home as usual with Jinpei running ahead of them.

"Kisho…when you leave here once you finish your studies…can Jin and I come with you?" She asked as they neared the Orphanage.

"Jun, I'm leaving soon, but I'll make sure your not left alone here." He saw the angry look flint across her face and her lips went into a straight line.

"You promised…you told me that we were friends." Then she hit him and ran to catch up with Jinpei and they ran inside the Orphanage before he could say anything. He only hoped she would come and meet up with him the next day.

But she didn't, and for two days after that she wasn't seen at all and he missed her company. Then he went to go to the orphanage to try and clear things up when he saw the place combing with authorities. Casually Ken walked up to the complex to hear what was going on.

Jinpei spotted him, and the small boy ran as fast as he could towards him.

"Kisho…Kisho." He cried out and when he finally reached Ken he burst into uncontrollable tears…"Sis is gone…and three other girls." He said in between sobs. "She said she'd take me with her when she ran away again."

"Pull your self together Jinpei, when did this happen?" Ken asked urgently.

"Three days ago." The small child managed as he burst into tears again.

"Three day…Jin, she wouldn't just leave you like that…I know Jun." He made him look at him. "We'll find her." He promised Jinpei…


	25. Devilstars

Jun sat in the dinning room with the other girls who had come in that day, she was still not over her hurt from Kisho and that was about three days ago.

Jinpei hadn't let up about her crush on him, and he teased her so much that night as the snuck back into the complex she spoke to him very harshly and he burst into tears. After that she felt ashamed of herself for hurting him like that after all he was only five years old.

It's what her mother used to do, in distant memories that lingered in her dreams and she still cried at night from the way her mother treated her and she had no right to treat him like that.

Jun had promised herself she's do a better job with Jinpei since he came all alone and very sad about his mother passing away suddenly in her sleep, he still had bad dreams about finding her the next morning when she didn't come and get him out of bed like she normally did. Jun's heart went out to the little boy who sat all alone in the playground for the first day he was in the orphanage.

Before she met Kisho she hadn't noticed boys as being anything other than annoying, but he was different, and then he told her he wouldn't take her with him, it hurt and the memories of being abandoned came flooding back in that instant.

Emily was her closest friend and she comforted Jun when she lay awake that night in her bed crying, Jun tried hide her tears from the other children in the room, but Emily who was on duty that night heard her, it was because she felt there was no escape from the orphanage.

She saw her future there like it was mapped out before her- she would grow up there and eventually work there and she would amount to nothing.

But still, she didn't want to leave her new brother Jinpei to that kind of boring life either so she was still waiting for Emily to bring to be with her, like she promised she would.

Jun was drawn back to the present by the noise in the room, girls chatted excitedly about training to be someone important so she sat at the dinner table and quietly picked at her food while she thought of Jinpei and Kisho, the she let her mind drift back to three days ago when she left the orpahange in Emily's car, she was so tired suddenly when she got into the car, but she thought Emily was going back inside for Jinpei…she thought about the conversation with Emily as she held Jun close and told her she could help Jun make it right…she would count for something if she came with her.

"Emily_ why_…" Jun sobbed into her friends shoulder," I just want a family, is that to much to hope for?" she looked up into Emily's compassionate blue eyes briefly."People come here to adopt children all the time but it's never me or Jin…but no one want's me, not even Kisho..." The image of his face that shimmered into her mind made her cry even harder, then it registered in her mind that he looked worried as she hit him and ran away.

"It's_alright_ Jun…you know I saw you doing some impressive moves the other day in the play yard." Emily praised her talent as she wiped away Jun's tears. "You could put your talents to use in a worthwhile cause…"

But Jun wasn't listening much as she was absorbed in her own self pity at that point."My mother didn't want me…so why should he." Jun sobbed. Jun knew she was just feeling sorry for herself but she had to get it out." One day, _someone _will love me enough to give a _real _last name."

Emily looked at her sharply as she tilted her face up in her hands to look into her eyes."Jun you have a last name, but you never write it down, or say it, you won't even recognise your _real_ first name…why?"

Jun felt herself go numb at the memories of when she was five years old being dragged by the arm to another orphanage and hearing the woman who was suppose to love her tell them she didn't want her, she told Jun everyday that she was a mistake and she ruined her life because she was born…then she decided to get rid of her. "_Never_ say her name to me…I don't _want_ her last name, or any name she gave me." Jun told Emily as bitterness crept into her voice. Jun was a name she chose for herself and she never responded to any other name, she had virtually forgotten the name her mother gave her.

She remembered the overhearing the conversation that her mother had with the lady at the last orphanage she was at as she stood there in dirty clothes with no shoes on her dirty feet, her hair hadn't been washed in a week. Her mother said she never wanted a child, she found it hard to love her and if they didn't take her she'd be left on the street to fend for herself as she had had enough of motherhood, from that time on Jun want nothing from her because it hurt too much knowing that she never wanted her.

"Jun I didn't mean to upset you more…what if I could show a way that your life could have the meaning that want…" Emily promised her. "Come with tonight along with Crystal and Sarah…I'll show you a way to put those skills you have to use in a cause that is worth while…" Jun nodded as hot tears still fell on her cheeks." Can you bring Jinpei as well- I promised him I'd look after him…" It had been three days and Jinpei was still not with her and she hadn't seen Emily since she brought her here to start her new life, but still she was treated well by the women and she was given new clothes and a clean bed in her own room.

She was brought out of her thoughts by the sound of the woman who walked into the room she had long blond hair and big blue eyes a confident air about her, she was flanked by two women wearing black leather with blue piping, they carried a masks in one hand, and the pretty blond woman she smiled at the all the young girls in the room.

"Welcome to Galactor girls…few of you will make it through to the final training to become a Devilstar, but those who prove their worth will find a great career ahead of them." The Devilstar's voice dripped with honey and promises and Jun paid attention to what she was saying.

"As you know Galactor is an organisation that is set up for the greater good of the planet and you are here to train for that cause…you must be excited to be training for such an important job." The woman let her intense gaze fall on the faces of the girls in the room and then she smirked as she continued her introduction speech.

Only the best would go onto be Devilstars of Galactor she was saying as Jun's sharp ears picked up on everything. When she finished the blond lady took a good look at each young girl around the room again, she smiled with some satisfaction and then turned and left with the two women who were Devilstars trailing behind her.

Jun smiled to herself, she would be one of the best they ever had, and she would show them what she was made of…

8888888888

Ken walked Jinpei to a corner of the building away from the authorities that were interviewing the staff that worked there.

"Jinpei I need you to tell me all that you know about the last night I saw you, Jun was upset with me right." He waited for Jinpei to settle down, and through teary eyes he rubbed he nodded sadly.

"I didn't want to say much to anyone in case I got her into trouble…" he said quietly. "But I know she talked to Emily for ages around bed time one of the other girls said she went out of the room with her... I got up to go and sleep with sis even though she wasn't nice to me…because when I have bad dreams she tells me stories that make me laugh and then she cuddles me and they go away. Well that night she wasn't in her bed-and I don't know any more." Jinpei gushed as he looked at Ken filled with exhaustion.

"I _need_ to talk to Emily…" Ken mused, he had opened his mind to Akiya so she could hear what was going on and he could feel her alarm that Jun had run away. Now it was like second nature to let her in or close the doors if he needed privacy.

"I'll try to reach her Ken the Eagle…I'll find out where she is." Akiya told him urgently."If I could do so in another time, then she must be open enough to hear me now. I'll try not to startle her."

"Thanks Akiya…" He thought back as he turned his attention to the Swallow standing before him.

"Emily is on holidays…she left that night." Jinpei told him, not that rang of suspicion to Ken.

"Jinpei I need you to keep an eye on things here for me, just in case Jun shows up."he waited for the small boy to look at him." I'm going to find her for you so don't you worry but I need you to be brave for me." He waited for a response as he stared at the miserable child.

Jinpei nodded his head and Ken could see he was trying to be brave as he drew in a deep breath.

"Kisho…why did you tell sis you would leave us here." He asked as Ken was about to get up.

"Jinpei…I couldn't lie to her, besides someone will come soon and he will take you both to a place you could be happy." Ken tried to reassure him.

"If you know someone is coming…why didn't you say it to sis." Jinpei innocently asked.

"Because…" But Ken didn't have an answer for him, he was so caught in not wanting to interfere with events that he very could have by not telling Jun Dr.Nambu would come for them soon. "Well Jinpei I wasn't thinking. I should have told her about Dr.Nambu, he's a friend of mine, and then she wouldn't have run away." He heaved a sigh as he looked at Jinpei. "But you know it's not like her to leave behind...she never would have-" He stopped himself before he could say any more.

The Jun he knew would _never _abandon Jinpei.

They both watched as a car pulled up around the side of the complex and a woman got out and went inside through a side door.

"Kisho that's, Emily." Jinpei told him wide eyed and a surprise flashed across his small face.

"Jinpei, stay here." Ken warned him with a serious face to try and make him obey his order, but he should have known that the small boy wouldn't listen as he followed Ken in through the side door. So Ken turned to him and put a finger to his lips as the both followed her moving quietly and hiding in shadows. For a five year old boy Ken thought Jinpei was doing very well to keep quiet and do as he was told, we at least while they were trailing Emily.

She went into a records room and she pulled out some files, Ken noticed one had Jun's name on it but also another name that looked to more official. The name read- _'Jasmin Aichi'_ and then _Jun_ was hand written under it. The other files were obviously girls who lived at the orphanage. She took the files and then left the same way.

Ken noticed that no one was in the corridors, which surprised Ken, but then most of the employees were at the front office and the children were in the playground. The lack of security around this place was alarming her thought as he followed her out the door with Jinpei in tow.

Ken waited until she got back to the car and then he stole a glance at Jinpei and indicated that the boy stayed right where he was, "She put the stuff in the boot…" Jinpei whispered as Ken had already noticed. As the car pulled away Jinpei threw a rock at it and it popped open.  
"Thanks Jin," Ken smiled at him.  
And with lightning speed Ken dived into the boot that was slightly open…


	26. Jasmin Aichi

Jun stood alone in the centre of the gym floor while she waited for the next opponent, they were testing the girl's strength and agility and so far Jun had bested half of the girls in the few hours, some of them were older than she was, there was about twenty of them in this session.

"Jun you're up again." Riana called out as she looked back at the other girls sitting on the floor waiting to be called up again as the day progressed.

Even thought it had only been just over a week since she had started to learn self defense moves from Kisho, it seemed to come naturally to her.

He told her she was very good, and every morning before she left the orphanage to see him she would practice in the playground, she had wanted him to be proud of her so much, and his compliments only made her work harder each day.

She watched the young girl named Deana, who was her own age walk up to the exercise mat Jun fluidly went into a fighter's stance, just the way Kisho had showed her to, it was like she could anticipate their next move by the expression on their face or the way they held themselves.

And she could tell her instructors were impressed by her new skills.

She watched Deana as she went to attack her, Jun was right about her…and she blocked Deana from the left and knocked her flying with a front kick to the stomach. Deana fell to the ground with a thump and then she was laying there hunched over in pain, and she wasn't making an attempt to get back up as Jun watched her and it suddenly occurred to her that this was no game like the Devilstars told them it was. She ran over to see if Deana was alright, but Deana fobbed her attentions off like she was an annoying moth.

"She's strong and a fast learner…but much too soft hearted, it's weakness that could undermine Galactor." Jun heard one of the Devilstars say to the instructor.

"Well, give it time; we'll toughen her up to what we need as a Devilstar…" The instructor with a chilly disposition frowned as with a flick of her finger silently indicated that they take the Deana away, "she was bested in moments and she's not suitable to become a Devilstar." Riana the instructor ordered as two Devilstars came over and roughly took Deana from the room by now she was crying even more and she was begging for a second chance.

Jun hesitated for a moment and then she ran over to Deana as they had almost reached the door.

"Let her have another try." Jun pleaded as she stood in front of them.

The Devilstar to her left smirked as Deana kept her head down in shame at being dismissed from the training room.

"You want her to stay?" She snickered as she looked at Jun."Well Jun, you're not the one who decides who stays and who goes, watch your own back." Then she pushed Jun aside as they walked out the door.

Jun walked back to join the other girls when the instructor grabbed her arm." So you think you're the best already and you can throw you weight around." Jun looked up at her as her brows knotted together angrily, as she pursed her lips tight.

Riana pushed Jun to the floor and then she attacked her, Jun moved out of her way fast. The way Riana was coming at her was frightening to Jun, the snarl on her face made Jun stand up and fight back and she got a few hits in on the older woman, as she fought the Devilstar who had years of training on her she had something wash over her like cold water.

She had abandoned Jinpei, that's what was wrong, she should have gone to him herself to tell him they were leaving that night, and maybe if she didn't hit Kisho he would still be take them with him.

Something felt wrong, but she couldn't put a finger on it, but then maybe it's like the Devilstar said, she was too soft and she needed to toughen up.

"_Jun."_ The reptilian female voice in her head called out. _"Jun, where are you…Ke…Kisho is looking for you." _

She looked around for the person who was speaking to her.

"_Jun, its Akiya….listen Kisho is coming for you, you are in grave danger…he went to the orphanage to look for you…Jun Galactor is your enemy."_

Kisho came for her after all, she thought.

"My enemy? Akiya…Jinpei is he alright? Kisho…" She said out loud as she expected to Akiya somewhere in the room as she stole a glance past her opponent.

Jun found herself distracted momentarily but it was too late and felt the crack of the fist in the side of her face and then she saw nothing else as the world took on a hazy blackness and she passed out.

88888888

The road they were traveling on was bumpy, but Ken had been through worse in his lifetime of crashing planes and warships.

There was a small torch in the boot he was travelling in and he used it to look at the files Emily stole from the orphanage. He hesitated at the one labeled 'Jun' and then the official name being _Jasmin Aichi_ and he wondered if it could just be a double file so he opened it.

The picture of a little girl who looked to be about five years old looked like Jun but the name on the back of it was Jasmin.

There was another picture that appeared to be more recent and it was diffidently Jun, out of curiosity he looked at the official written documents in the file. After reading it he felt like he had invaded her privacy and his heart went out her from what it said.

_For the director of Christen Mission Orphanage;_

_For your files we have provided the reports made on the background of Jasmin Aichi, theses are to be kept for her in the future if she wishes to know about her birth history__. These have been put into layman terms as requested by your office._

_Our findings pending the investigation that was instigated after the condition she was found to be in medically and mentally when she was left at the orphanage were disturbing. So it is right the Miss Aichi was investigated and formally charged with Child abuse and later prostitution, she has been give a sentence of fifteen years imprisonment in a women's prison and it is not expected that she will be paroled for at least five years of that sentence. _

_A__physiological evaluation that was conducted on Jasmin has found that even at the tender age of fives years old she will have trouble coming to terms with the abuse, the denial of her real name and her refusal to even acknowledge that she has a mother is a concern but not surprising due the neglect. It is likely she is suffering from shock that has now become delayed trauma syndrome from possibly witnessing the death of her sibling who she claims was only her imaginary friend._

_Physically at the time she was placed in the orphanage she was malnourished, deep bruising on parts of her body and neglected to the point that had staff members in tears, Jasmin withdrew totally at the mention of her own name, she told them her real name was Jun. It was later found that Jun was the name of her 10 month old baby sister that died a few months before from suspicious circumstances._

_Neighbor's notified police of Jasmin screaming one night and the crying baby became silent suddenly, a short time later Heather fled with Jasmin and she was found sitting outside and orphanage. She was made a ward of the state almost immediately; her mother was arrested days later._

_This neglect was reported to the child services department but it was not acted on appropriately due to blunders by workers, Heather only acted when the infant died and dropped Jasmin into an orphanage and she tried to disappear knowing she could be charged. _

_It has been felt that Jasmin should have a child physiologist revaluate her on a regular basis, but due to funding and the high influx of orphans in the Himalayan region we will have to rely on experiences child workers to help this child lead a normal life, and assimilate properly into society. _

_It is hoped that eventually she will be placed for adoption with a family, but until that time please look after Jasmin._

_Signed;_

Sarah Winchester

_Child case worker._

Ken looked at the picture of Jun again, as he felt hot tears on his cheeks for the pain of her early years and the way she was treated, he felt rage build up him towards her mother for what she did to her and her sister.

Oh Jun…he thought sadly as folded the piece of paper.

He decided when he found her he would take her and Jinpei to Dr.Nambu himself.

He took the report and the picture of Jun and put them into his pocket as he felt the car pull up.

"ID please." He heard a man say, a few moments later. "Thank you, you may proceed."

"Ken the Eagle." Akiya filled his mind.

"Not now, I think I might be at the place that Jun's been taken to" he thought back to her.

"She's been hurt, from what I could see…I'll wait for you signal, you might need an escape plan." Akiya pointed out.

"So who should I expect…an bird or a woman?" he quizzed as he folded down the back seat to slip out of the boot as Emily walked around the back to open the boot to get out her files.

"_In your terms I would __say,' very funny,'_" she said sarcastically as he slipped out the back door and he began to shadow Emily.

"_Can you locate me?"_ Ken asked her as he slipped through a door that led down a long corridor; he knew he was inside a base from the layout.

"_You are wearing the gold amulet then yes I can track you…"_ She hinted as he put his hand over it.

"_Alright, stay in touch_." He told her as he continued to follow Emily.

He hid behind a door as she stopped and spoke to a Devilstar dressed in plain black leather from head to toe with straight long black hair and show white skin.

"Heather, I have the files you asked for on the girls that we just brought in…" Emily said as she handed them over to the woman.

"Good…let me see." She flicked through the yellow manila folders until she came across one in particular that got her attention, she opened it and she began to read.

"Heather I envy you, getting all the good assignments. The success of your latest should get you a promotion." Emily sighed as she looked at the folders in Heathers hands."Have had any rest since you got back last night?" Emily inquired but Heather didn't answer her fully.

"Well...it was a week ago that I finished the assignment, I'm sure Berg Katse will recognize my efforts soon...Asakura had to be dealt with, if he thought he could leave Galactor and sell information about us he was sorely wrong. I just did it for the greater good of Galactor...and that annoying son of his..." Heather coolly said as she continued to flick through the information in her hands."The sins of the father..." She casually smiled more to herself as she picked out a file that caught her interest.

"Jasmin Aichi." Heather said in surprise. "Well, well…"

"Do you know her?" Emily asked.

"Yes, I know the name- I wonder what she looks like these days…" The woman in black slightly smiled at the photo she picked up.

"Well Jasmin we meet again…I hope you live up to the family expectations." Heather sneered as she put the picture back into the file.

"It looks like I'll have to go and see them after all, let's see how the training is going Emily." Heather said as they began to walk down the corridor.

At the mention of the Asakura family Ken's jaw clenched tightly in anger, and he prayed that Dr.Nambu reached him time to save him, it looked like his warning still didn't save Joe's family.

Ken kept them in his sights and when he saw a goon who was walking on his own he knocked him out and stole his uniform so he could freely follow them to the training rooms…


	27. Family ties

Akiya entered the base as a woman dressed in black leather like the Devilstars she had seen through Ken's vision, he was developing his ability to control his subconscious mind well and he could now even let her see through his eyes if he chose to.

Since that night that she experience human mating for the first time she had become fascinated with the species, the passion she felt surpassed anything that she had felt in all her life, the emotions of pleasure that ran through her body and he hadn't even used his male organ to go inside her to complete the ritual, but what he could do with his tongue and hands, it made her shudder with delight whenever she thought about it, she almost lost focus while she taught him how to control his thoughts and protect himself from Sosai Xeng.

Akiya looked around at the people who were controlled by her current mate's desire for control, knowledge and power. She needed to see it for herself this organisation called Galactor; she knew it was Xeng's organisation from the time she stepped onto the base. The science experiments in the labs was further advanced than the human race had progressed even at this point in time, she wondered what he was really up to as she looked around the base.

He hated humans and yet he was building a power base using them, even Xeng couldn't get what he wanted without them, she thought. But then he would see them as slaves doing his bidding, he would discard them when they became no longer useful to him.

Sosai Xeng had the ability to transform, but he was at different stage of evolution from her in the Firebird race, his transforming relied on other elements, and when he had taken her as his mate he wanted her to teach him her secrets.

But Akiya held back, as Somue never asked her or applied pressure for her to so, and she regretted that she never taught him how to change like she could, if only she had known what human mating could be like…

But Xeng left just at the time she was about to cave into his will, but now she was relieved that she held back, Xeng had destroyed all she loved just to learn her secrets, and now she would destroy him.

Akiya still feared him, because he was willing to kill in ways she wasn't and he still was powerful and influential in other ways among the firebirds that now existed on Selector, but she would find a way to do it, and the gold Amulet she gave Ken the Eagle was more powerful than he could ever realize, now she just had to show him its secrets…

She casually walked past a room and sent out her thoughts, from the information she was processing from tapping into the minds of the scientist, he was using the humans to find the resources for him. She knew ultimately that he would destroy all humans on this planet eventually, but her thoughts turned to the night she almost mated with Ken the Eagle.

She had found herself wanting more from him, almost to the point that she could have taken over his mind completely and made him her slave if she chose to. But his thoughts were not of her, but of the female he loved, in his heart he would never be anyone else's, and that stopped her.

"_Akiya…what are you doing on Earth my love?" _Xeng hit her mind so hard she almost fell to the ground, but she pulled herself together fast and hit him back just as hard.

"_Xeng…you have been busy."_ She told him as she continued to walk through the huge base." The council will be interested in your use of power…"

"_Why would they Akiya…they were the ones that exiled me here, don't you remember?"_ He purred in her mind. "_After all you didn't do much to stop it when they met on Selector, but then I guess you were thinking of our new young."_

She didn't and now she knew she had at one point travelled to other planes in time, so she was on Selector, a planet Akiya had never been to, nor desired to go to, but the mention of a new nest got her attention, and from what he was indicating they existed in this time. This new information tore at her heart and the will to kill him…just yet.

"_Well Sosai…maybe I came for you_…" She smiled to herself confidently as she straightened her shoulders and looked straight head as decided to go and find Ken the Eagle and young Jun as she put thick walls up in her mind to lock out Sosai Xeng, for now she wasn't in the mood to continue her conversation with him.

8888888888

Ken was impressed with this base and he found it scary at the same time that they had so much power this early in time. From what he remembered of Dr.Nambu's early investigations of Galactor, they didn't have many recruits, the organisation wasn't a great threat to the mantle project or the planet.

But now he could see they were wrong, but if they had so much power now why did they wait so many years to attack the ISO natural resources sites.

He looked down at the almost finished Mecha as he continued to follow the two Devilstars. He'd be up against this Mecha in a few years time if he let it just stay there in one piece- it was the first one the team encountered.

This was a job for Gatchaman he thought, he could prevent them from launching an attack now, but first he had to find his future team mate, he'd be coming back to destroy it, along with the base.

Ken kept following the two of them as they walked into a room full of what were obviously new recruits, he stole up the stairs close to that door that led to a viewing room and in the darkened room he looked through the glass, but he couldn't see Jun there.

But he could hear the conversation that was taking place just below the viewing box.

"I want to see Jasmin…or Jun as she calls herself these days." Heather asked an instructor who had called herself Riana from introductions that were made moments earlier.

"Jun, she's finished her session for today, but we will be continuing her training, she's very promising." Riana told Heather confidently as if she was looking for Olympic champions amongst the young girls in the room. "Do you know her?" Riana asked as she looked at Heather seriously.

"Yes…she's my darling little daughter." Heather purred.

"What, you look to young to have a child of ten years old…" Riana looked confused.

"Thank you for the compliment Riana, I was only sixteen, her father was handsome and good in bed…but well, some things don't work out I guess…it will be quite a family reunion, you see she was taken from me…"Heather gave Riana a sad smile that Ken knew was a fake, this woman might be Jun's mother but she was nothing like her daughter. She turned to go when she looked up at the glass box that contained Ken and he shrank even more into the shadows. She battered her lashes and tilted her lips up just a bit and she continued to leave the room.

Ken decided it was his turn to leave as well, but he shrank into the shadows of the dark wall as the door to the room silently opened. Heather stood there looking around and then when she was satisfied that no one was there she left, and Ken continued to follow her.

She was intercepted by someone who was looking official and he found himself being called to carry out some mundane duty that enabled him to escape it and he finally found the quarters that housed new recruits.

"I'm looking for a recruit called Jun." He told the guard on duty, the man looked bored and he indicated the room she'd be in if she was there.

So Ken stood outside the matt silver door that Jun was behind, he looked behind to make sure Heather wasn't close by and he hit the button that allowed him to enter the room.

There was a low soft filtered light in the room and he could see Jun lying on a bed against the wall as he closed the door.

She prompted herself up on her elbow as she looked at him.

"Jun, it's me Ke..Kisho" He told her as he took off the mask.

"Kisho?" She questioned hesitantly as she looked at him in the soft light.

"Yes Jun it's me."

"You joined Galactor as well…" She looked at him wide eyed and hope flinted into her eyes.

"No Jun, I'm here to get you out, Galactor is not what you think it is." He had to try to get her to listen and he had to do it fast before Heather arrived.

"Get me out?" She gave him a quizzical frown as she sat up on the bed.

She was dressed in a black body suit that made her skin look florescent white even in this half light, but what stood out even more was the developing bruise across her left cheek.

She noticed him looking at it and she dismissed it. "I got in training today…"

"I see…" He would address that one later. "Jun these people are trying to destroy the planet not help it." He walked over and sat down next to her on the bed.

"Oh," She looked down into her hands. "You don't really know me Kisho…if you did then I wouldn't blame you for-"

"I know you Jun, better than I have ever known you before." He took her hand in his and pulled out the folded paper from the file and he pressed it into her hand.

"Your secrets are safe with me, I did read about you and I don't think less of you because of what happened." Tears swelled in her green eyes as she looked at the paper.

"My real name is Jasmin…" she hoarsely whispered. "And my mother abandoned me because she didn't love me, so I changed me name to because my sister loved me…I don't want to be called Jasmin."

"I like Jun much better anyway…if you decide to keep it." He tried to let her see he was serious. "Do you trust me Jun, even if it's just a little bit."

"I do trust you Kisho, these women think I'm much too soft, that I need to harden my heart more if I want to help people." She opened the piece of paper and she looked at the contents. "I hardly remember it now, those days I was with her…I guess I just blocked it out in my mind, but some nights I still see her face." She put it in her pocket and she took his hand in hers.

Ken didn't want Jun to suffer any more, so he figured it was time to leave before Heather arrived, maybe in the future he might one day be able to tell Jun what she became.

"We better get out of here…"He informed her as he stood up and picked up the mask and put it back on."Just do as I say Jun, and we'll get out of here find Jinpei and I'll take you both to a friend of mine. Dr.Nambu, he lives in Utoland, I live there too Jun."

"Right lets go." She was serious now and she walked behind him and kept silent as they left the sleeping quarters.

Jun spotted her first and felt her hand tighten as she turned and looked at the Devilstar that was approaching them and she began to move towards her. Ken knew what she wanted to do.

"No." he whispered as loud as he dared.

"Jasmin, where are you going?" Heather purred.

"You're…her…you killed my sister." Jun said as she seemed to freeze on the spot.

"Is that anyway to greet me after such a long time, now you can earn the right to be my daughter…" Heather said, as she smiled cunningly at Jun.

"I don't have a mother…"Jun cried out as Ken pulled out some his mini explosives and threw them at the two Devilstars.

"Jun we gotta run…_NOW"_ he told her as they ran down the hall as fast as they could.

"She's with Galactor." Jun kept saying as they ran. "Then what you said must be true…"

He finally pulled her into a corner to as a group of goons ran past them.

"Jun I have to do something first before I leave here, if I get you out then run into the hills and I'll find you there." He told her.

"No Kisho, I'm staying with you…I'll help you," She straightened her shoulders and looked at him, they didn't have much time to argue about it.

"Alright, we have a mecha to destroy." He told her as they left the safe haven to complete the mission…


	28. Galactor Mecha monsters

Berg Katse stood looking at the view screen of the storm mecha full of glee." This is so good- Sosai X is going to so pleased with me." He was so full of joy he was dancing around the bridge.

"We are in a time machine…I did it, I really did it…now all I need to do is control it." He called out as he watched the changing scenery and places in history below him.

"Captain Sorro," Katse turned to address the man who was standing close by.

"Get me data from our computers so I can see why we jump around so much. I guess Gatchaman is no longer a threat to Galactor if we left him in a pre historic time. I hope he likes dinosaurs for dinner…or better yet they like him. Turtle King I left you something special." Katse was so happy that he clapped his hands and chuckled, as Captain Sorro scurried to carry out his orders.

This would be Galactor's greatest achievement.

"I'm gonna get a promotion…world leader…ahhh…ohhh…Sosai Z like he promised me." Katse walked over to the computer that was churning through data. He'd get control of this mecha and then nothing would stop him from defeating the Science Ninja Team and taking control of the Earth and all of its natural resources…

888888

From the top of the hanger Ken and young Jun looked over a railing down at the mecha. The hanger was open and Ken could see an electrical storm brewing outside as the distant rumble of thunder reached his ears. The blue sky was turning a slight greenish grey as the dark clouds rolled in.

"It's so huge- you mean they will use this to kill people? Gees you know it looks like a Dinosaur from the Jurassic age." Jun said as she looked up at him for a moment and then back down at the mecha that was really Turtle King. "To think I _almost_became a part of that." She muttered, stunned at the mecha before her.

"I didn't see one that _looked_ like this when I was there…"Ken said looking at the mecha.

"Huh, what do you mean by that?" She asked as she studied his face.

"Ahhh never mind." He dismissed his comment with a casual flick of his hand.

"Whatever, which museum did you go to and see dinosaurs?" She said as if they were having a casual afternoon together instead of being in the middle of a Galactor base.

"Focus Jun...right now we need focus." He mused as started to plan out the next move.

"Well as long as we don't run into any Devilstars we should be able to blow it up." Jun said with a smile of anticipation.

"Sounds good to me Jun," He told her and he squeezed her hand.

They hadn't mentioned the near encounter with her mother since Ken threw the mini explosives at Heather and the other Devilstar, but he knew the topic would come up again eventually. Until that time they had a mission to complete and the focus had to be there for then to survive it, after all he had Katse's other storm mecha to destroy as well.

He wondered if he was on the base, as the engines of the mecha fired up and then stopped as engineers ran around below them fixing problems.

"It's too soon." Ken said concerned. "They weren't supposed to launch one of these for a few years yet." And from what he could see this Mecha was ready to go and do its damage. He'd seen many like this mecha before, and Katse was too far ahead of schedule to launch one, besides looking at the Turtle King felt like De jà vous, he was thankful it wasn't the real thing.

"What do you mean Kisho, are you a spy?" She asked as she continued to look at the mecha. "Yes Jun they call me 001, I wonder why they haven't sounded the alarm."

Then the red alert light went on and goons came scurrying from all corners of the base. He watched as the two Devilstars ran out to the base platform below them, Heather looked up and pointed at them.

"They're just slower than usual," he told Jun. As he grabbed her hand and they ran along the balcony to get closer to the mecha.

"Stop them! They are _traitors_ to Galactor!" Heather yelled out and she pointed her finger up at them.

"Kisho," Jun looked at him with pleading green eyes.

"She can't hurt you Jun, I won't let her." Ken reassured her as he squeezed her hand and he looked back down at the mecha.

"We're going to jump on its neck," he said to her holding out his hand. He was still in the goon's uniform but he kept it on so they wouldn't see his face.

"Kisho, can you promise me something?" Jun said as she looked up at him with sober expression that made him stop.

"What is it Jun?" He was in hurry to keep moving.

"That you won't try and harm her again. I…I know I don't like her or want to be like her, but it's not enough reason for me to, well- I don't want to be filled with hatred; it would make me become like her." Jun implored him as she waited for his answer, and this made him respect Jun even more.

"I promise, _but_ if she tries to hurt you, then I won't be able to keep it." He took her hand in his and Jun gave him a nervous nod as she looked down to the levels below them while Ken climbed up onto the railing. He wasn't used to Jun hesitating, but he figured she wasn't exactly used to this at her age, and then some goons loosed a round of gun fire on them. "Jun it's _now_or _never."_ He told her as he watched her tighten her resolve and she took his hand and they jumped.

8888888

Akiya heard the noise from the hanger and she knew where Ken the Eagle was, after all she knew he would create havoc if he found Xeng's base.

But Akiya knew that Xeng wasn't at this base, she could tell from the vibes he had sent when they had spoken briefly. But she knew he would come after her now, and he'd be relentless in getting her under his will again.

She walked casually out into the huge hanger and watched the battle that was taking place with great interest.

Then she looked intently at the Devilstar, who was wearing a mask and a wig, and she felt the coldness of this woman's nature. Her mind was totally exposed and Akiya knew that she was the mother of Jun; her name was Heather.

"_You_ would abandon your fledglings…and kill one of your own?" Akiya said in disbelief as she looked at Heather who turned to face her. Heather's smile could have frozen a lake on a hot summer's day.

"Who are you?" Heather demanded as Akiya returned the icy smile.

"I'm your worst nightmare…" Akiya told the Devilstar as the woman collapsed under the weight of Akiya's power.

888888888

Ken and Jun spotted Akiya on the ground as they entered the mecha through one of the open air vents.

"What's Akiya doing?" Jun asked as he pulled her inside it with him.

"It looks like she's helping create a distraction, now look for some-"He began to give the order when he noticed she was looking at a panel that displayed a small screen with a map.

"I've seen blue prints in books, and this looks turbine room…we could blow it up if we could get there." She told him excitedly.

Ken had done that before and silently the set off to find the turbine room. Under other circumstances he would have ditched the uniform and transmuted. But it was too much to explain to her and it was out of habit that he wanted to keep his identity as secret as possible until it was needed for him to become Gatchaman.

So the goon's mask would have to do for now, he figured. They entered the room and Jun ran over to a control panel.

"Mmm," she mused as she looked at it. "In the book it said that if…I…do….this…" She opened it up and took out something, changed it around and then closed the panel. The turbine began to slow down and spin the other way, and as he watched her he wondered what type of books they got in at the orphanage. As if to answer his unspoken question, Jun turned and gave him a radiant smile.

"Kerry-Anne is studying to be a chemical engineer. She lets me read her books, and she does quizzes with me. I love to know how things work…blowing things up looks interesting…just not hurting people by doing it…"

"I can see that, let's get outta here." Ken liked her enthusiasm for the job, even though he had very little stomach for violence unless he had to do it.

Then it began to speed up and smoke started to pour out of it as they ran from the room.

"This way," Ken indicated as to the left as some goons ran around the corner. The smoke that was piling out of the turbine room provided them with some cover as it started to fall apart.

"_Bird Go."_ Ken called out just in time as the turbine exploded just when they were leaving the mecha. He threw himself on top of Jun as they were thrown to the floor and he covered her with his wings. She passed out momentarily from the fall to the ground and they slid across the floor. He managed to pull her into a sheltered corner as the mecha began to collapse, and he transmuted back to civilan just as she began wake up again.

Jun looked out past the sheltered spot and she gasped as she pulled herself out from under him. He watched as she raced across the room."Jun…Come back, it's much too dangerous." He called out and he followed her because she wasn't listening to him.

She knelt down beside a woman with long black hair. It was Heather and she was definitely dead from the way her lifeless green eyes stared at the ceiling.

What struck him as strange was that there were no wounds on her body, but then he noticed dark reddish black liquid that trickled out her left ear. But he didn't have time to wonder what it was as he looked at Jun.

"Why…why?" Jun cried as she knelt next to the Devilstar. "Mothers are supposed to love their children…"

Seeing Jun next to her mother brought back the memory of them together as the Crescent coral base was falling apart around them and they were waiting to die, he had asked her about her family, and he could hear the hesitation in her voice as she had told him." Well, I grew up in an orphanage…I don't _know_ anything about my family…"It was a place in the future: a part of his memories, and it hadn't even happened yet.

Ken took hold of her shoulders as he leaned down and he pulled her close to him and he mussed her hair with his fingers as he planted a kiss in her long locks. He knew they weren't out of danger yet, and she looked up at him with tear brimmed eyes and trembling lips. "Kisho…" In that moment his heart was in his throat as he tried to comfort her.He wanted so much to tell her she was going to be alright, but as the base collapsed around them he couldn't give that type of reassurance when he looked up at the destruction that was happening before his eyes.

Ken helped her stand up, but the ground shook and he took her hand and squeezed it tight as the base began to collapse around them.

The outside world was coming into the open hanger. The rain began pouring inside and it caused some of the hot flames to sizzle as it cooled heated metal, causing it fracture and fall down. Other explosions began as the base disintegrated.

"Jun," He pointed up into the sky as the beautiful Phoenix descended upon them.

"Please…take Jun to safety." He called out to Akiya as he held her up and the claws of the enormous bird took ahold of the young girl.

"_Noooo!_ I don't want to leave you here Kisho…" Jun called out as she looked back at Ken. " Jun listen to me….sometimes you _have_ to leave behind someone you love …even if it rips your heart into tiny pieces…Jun does the good of the one out weight the needs of the many?" Then he thought of something. To reassure her he would escape, he took of the golden medallion from around his neck and he handed it to her. "Give this back to me when I see you outside…if I don't survive then give it to Dr.Nambu." He asked her as Akiya began to lift off with her. That was when he thought of his father and the sacrifice he had made. Ken had wanted to die with him, but Red Impulse wouldn't let him go on that last mission with him.

"Kisho…Kisho…" She called out as her hand reached for him, as she was lifted high up into the sky and they disappeared out of the hanger.

He waited as Akiya came back for him; he knew she would.

She's safe, she told him as he transmuted and leaped onto her back and positioned himself at the base of her neck. She lifted up out of the mouth of the hanger as the final explosions began and flames leaped out after them. The sounds of the explosions were almost deafening as Akiya headed into the storm away from the base.

"Where are we going?" He asked her as he looked back at the ground.

He could see Jun standing in the open field watching the fires rise up from the base and she collapsed onto her knees as she clutched the medallion close to her. "_KISHO!!!!"_ He could just hear her grief stricken scream out into the stormy day as she seemed to ignore the rain pelting down on her.

A slight smile came to his face as he saw Dr.Nambu running towards her with Jinpei by his side and he wondered if they saw him, but the cover of the dark day and storm would have been enough for them to remain hidden from view as they reached the clouds.

"Well if you want to defeat Sosai X, now's your chance Ken the Eagle." She confidently told him as she flew towards a storm cloud that was all too familiar to the Eagle.

"Here we go again." He told her as they approached the storm cloud." This time I can't fail…I won't fail." He clenched his jaw tightly as they were about to fly into the storm cloud…


	29. Merging planes in time

"What happened down there Akiya at that base?" Ken wanted to know, the place blew up in other parts before the mecha exploded Ken had silently observed when he was running for cover with Jun.

"I helped you destroy it, didn't we work well together." Akiya looked over her shoulder at him for a brief moment and she looked insulted at his questioning of something that she helped him with." You took care of that vulgar metal thing and me…I just got rid a few vermin that were controlled by Xeng and I hope it cripples him for some time."

"Akiya I appreciate what you did to help destroy Galactor…"How was going to broach this topic."But you killed Jun's mother…why?" He was torn on this one knowing that Heather had also killed Joes parents, it was a truth that he dreaded telling either of them, the link could be too much for either of then to bare.

Ken sensed Akiya in his mind, and suddenly her tone was less aggressive, it felt like she was searching for something.

Finally she spoke again in his mind softly." I sense your torment regarding that human female at the base…I saw you standing beside her body with Jun…"Akiya sighed as she continued, "Jun deserved better than her as a mother…Jun is nothing like her, how could a female be so cruel to her own."

"Yes her death is on my hands, it is better that way, because I know you would have killed her if you crossed paths and it would have tormented you every time you looked at Jun knowing the truth…" Akiya sadly admitted as a bolt of lightning missed them by a few metres.

The atmosphere around them was very active with Lightning lighting up the clouds and making them in quick flashes look more like a transparent bluish light grey as they flew just above the cloud line.

"Yes," Ken didn't know if he really had wanted an answer, but her lack of wounds stunned him." You were in the base…as a woman weren't you?"

"Yes I can change more easily now…"

"She was going to harm Jun when she found her again…I could feel her contempt and need for power and she didn't have any love for her child or anyone else but herself." Akiya spoke with disgust in her reptilian voice as continued." She is not the kind who should be left to wander the Earth."

"So you feel it's your duty to judge…" He queried her.

"Don't be so self righteous Ken the Eagle, if someone hurts you then you are quick to take it out on others…You sought revenge for her, and if she was harmed again there would no stopping you from seeking revenge." Akiya's voice was vigorous and she was upset with now he could tell.

"Yes…I have sought revenge for the death of my father…" He closed his eyes as he thought of the pain he felt at that time, and then for Jun, but a light of sprung up inside of him, he could at least still prevent her death as he held onto Akiya as the once again entered the cloud.

888888

"What he's back with that oversized bird!" Katse looked at his Captain as if he was telling him tales.

"Yes sire…look." Captain Sorro pointed at the view screen with a shaking finger- his Lightning costume shimmered as he turned away from his leader.

"You fool!!! He's spotted us…and now he's trying to get inside…get some men down there to that section and take care of him, there is no way I'm gonna lose this mecha to Gatchaman do ya hear me…MOVE!" Katse shouted his order as goons scurried to carry it out.

"Go down there personally Sorro, I want to make sure he's taken care of." Katse drawled as Captain Sorro saluted with a shaking hand as he turned to follow Katse's order.

8888888

Ken entered the Mecha finally through a large vent in the odd shaped ship, it wasn't easy to spot the ship in the cloud but this time he knew exactly what he was looking for and with Akiya's sharp eyes they unravelled the illusion that Galactor had put in place to cloak the mecha.

He looked over his shoulder to see that she had changed form and was coming with him.

Silently he acknowledged her as he turned to make his way to the command centre of the ship.

"Strange...where are they?" He said to her as a group ran around the corner, he didn't have time to see what Akiya was up to as he engaged them in single combat, but the fight was hardly fair for the goons as their attack was squashed within minutes.

"They don't fight well." Akiya looked appalled at the bodies of the men as she stepped over them with contempt.

Ken didn't respond he was focused now on what he had to do to destroy the mecha as they walked brazenly down a hallway with not a goon in sight.

Akiya put her hand on his arm and indicated to a window that looked out of the mecha into the cloud, the first time he looked he couldn't see anything more than grey murky sky and the occasionally lightning bolt.

But she pulled him closer to the window, and indicated to his left.

As his eyes adjusted to gloomy light he could see a light misty section that had just opened up and from there he could see below the line of the cloud was not only a change in scenery but they were now over a battle field that had a Roman defensive square as the natives attacked several legions. The bronze Hawks of the Legions were just visible through the mist as it moved again and thick smoky looking cloud came over it.

"Well it could be worse for you Ken the Eagle." She whispered close to his ear. "You could be down there along with them."

"We may yet end up there." He turned and smirked. "A mythical creature such as your self would fit right in…"told her as he broke into a run to cover more ground to the control rooms.

The mecha was strange in the layout compared to other Mecha's that's he had boarded, Ken couldn't put his finger totally on it but something about the way the walls appeared to almost move at times and warp made him edgy.

"The matter of this ship is not holding its form." Akiya told him as she stopped to touch the walls and her hand looked like it was pushing the wall back as it wobbled like jelly from her touch.

"The flooring is still solid." He told her as he did a deliberate stomp as if to prove a point.

"Yes, but it won't be for much longer, the panes of time are slowly wearing on this human creation." She looked at him and a slow deliberate smirk came onto her perfect lips."Ahhh…" Her cool green eyes began to glow with amber fire glints as if she suddenly realized something.

Ken gazed at her for a moment, and he wondered how a creature could make themselves look so perfect and he realized he didn't want a woman who looked so beautiful and flawless. "What is it?" He asked her as touched the wall himself.

"I know…how did they find it?" She said as she looked back with an intense leafy green gaze that had glints of amber fire dancing in the ponds of her irises.

"Find what?" He asked as he spun around to a noise behind them, more goons and another battle loomed before them as they both took positions to go into battle.

"That particular rare metal, it's mixed in with some other type, but Alderunime is not of this Earth…I found some data relating to an experiment on the base we destroyed, the scientist was so close to unlocking the secret of it so I destroyed him and the data… She told him casually as she took down goons like flies.

" My beloved, "she said sarcastically. "He was about to find out and I couldn't have that, now he will think it is a common metal that is just stronger than most…I had the fool sent his leader that information before I destroyed him so he couldn't reveal what he really knew… Alderunime's qualities are even a mystery in many ways to the Firebirds, but-"she grinned directly at him." I know its secrets…and now so do you."

"I do?" This was new to Ken, he'd never heard of this metal. " This extremely rare metal…" He mused."So when I transmute, did that have anything to do with this trip through time?" He quizzed her as he threw a goon over his back into another and then broke the neck of one without even looking at him as he focused on Akiya.

"The sudden electrical current and radiation that is generated may have been enough to disrupt the flow of the planes of time… maybe." She told him as she came closer.

"To your right…" She indicated as she took on one that had managed to break through- Ken figured she hit him just for the sake of it.

This fight lasted longer than the last, there wasn't much room for flight in the corridor but goons seemed to "stick" to the walls as they were thrown against them be either himself or Akiya.

"Stay here fror a moment, your taking far to long…" She gave him a casual side long glance as she stepped ahead of him.

"So you were just being polite?" He let out a stunned breath as he watched her work.

Goons fell under the sheer force of her will as she walked towards them; few seemed to even be able to engage her. Ken watched as she then turned her will onto one that stood out dressed in a typical Galactor Captains uniform that was covered in lightning strikes,

"Wait…I want to question him." Ken said as Akiya consented and she stepped back as he fell to the ground gasping for air, he grabbed the man by the collar and pulled him to his feet.

Ken looked at the rest of the goons that were trying to still attack them in the corridor." Unless you want to join your comrades, then step back…" He ordered through clenched teeth as he looked at the Captain who began to stammer badly. "I'm …I…I…"

"Where is your control room?" Ken demanded as he tightened his grip on the distraught Captains uniform.

"I'm nnnoottt at liberty to sayyy, because I'm well justtt be deahhmoted…" The Captain finally found his courage but he still stuttered with fear as Ken struggled to understand him." What kind of accent is that?" Ken said irritated that he didn't understand a word he was saying.

"Lord Katse asskkedd da same ting…well yer see dis is how it goes…" And the Captain started to list of his family members.

"I really don't have time for this crap." Ken told him as the Captain stopped for a moment and his eyes rolled to the back of his head, and then he fell dead to the floor.

"It's this way." Akiya told him as she almost glided ahead of him as her rainbow coloured gown shimmered as she walked like she was on a Sunday afternoon stroll.

"You didn't _need _to kill him." Ken said as he followed her.

"His purpose is served, you enabled me to get deep into his thoughts and for your information he would have at any point betrayed you to the Purple clocked fool who he follows like a puppet." She said with contempt for the dead mecha Captain.

Ken shook his head but kept silent, as he followed her to a closed silver door.

Akiya walked up to a computer terminal and it began to filter through data with her touching a keyboard.

"Its time for you to leave me Ken the Eagle." She said without looking at him.

"I stay until it's done." He looked at her as the data seamed to flit across her face.

"Get your revenge on Xeng's tool…" She ordered him. "I have work to do here."

"What are you looking for?" He asked as he stayed put and he moved in closer to her.

"I'm erasing data, and I want to know how far Xeng is at this point…He must have a deposit of this metal somewhere…he will still wants to unlock it's secrets what I did would only delay him…there is more than one way to defeat your enemy…now go."

She leaned in and gave him a gentle friendly parting kiss on his lips. "Look after Jun won't you..."

"Akiya we go together…" But as he said it he turned his back to her and bowed his head.

"You do that when it hurts you the most to walk away… You said it yourself that sometimes you must complete the task no matter the personal cost…but don't despair I might find you again yet Ken the Eagle, so don't think this is the last time you will see me." She lied to him as she continued her work.

"Take care of yourself Akiya." Ken's voice was hoarse, but he forced his legs to move and when he left the room he didn't look back.

Moments later he was entering the bridge and standing in the room was Berg Katse.

"Katse…" He snarled as he moved toward his enemy, but about fifty goons stepped out through side doors to come between him and Katse.

"Get him…I want him to suffer!" Katse sneered as he pointed a purple finger at him.

One by one he began to mow them down- every now and then he glimpsed the enormous view screen and one of the images that confronted him almost made him lose his focus on the fight.

It was like time had opened up its doors and the planes stood looking like a ladies open fan to show the past present and future all in one go, the possibilities of the future were endless and it was like time was not formed in a line or circle but it just was ever changing with the flow like the tides of the ocean, Ken had heard it called the butterfly effect in a training session he attended with Dr.Nambu a few years before.

Two goons that had managed to get a hold of his shoulders drew him back to the fight, but as they tried to corner him against the wall Ken managed to fling them off, he was so close to Katse now he could almost smell his strange aftershave.

"Get him you idiots, he's one one man even if he is Gatchaman !" Katse yelled as he ran towards a door on the other side of the mecha.

"Katse!!! " Ken yelled as he lunged towards him in frustration as he disappeared behind the door shutting out the goons that tried to follow him.

Ken managed another look at the screen- the God Phoenix was just outside of the cloud now.

No matter what happened to him he couldn't let them enter, but he knew for sure he was close to the time he left and then he felt the first shudder as the mecha began to fall apart and the walls were becoming almost transparent.

8888888888

Condor Joe stood at the console looking at the storm cloud that was looming before them with his arms crossed.

"Don't bother flying through it Ryu, were only investigating some strange reports from around this area and I don't see a need to get stuck in a storm."

"Well since Ken hasn't shown up you're the boss." The Owl sighed as turned the ship away from the dark storm cloud.

Joe was worried about Ken, he'd gone out for a mail run two days ago and he hadn't been heard from since, but the Condor didn't like to show it.

"I'm worried about Ken." Jun said as she stared at her console.

Joe looked at the Swan."Don't be too worried Jun, he'll turn up in his own good time."

"Dr.Nambu only told us an hour ago to look for strange clouds, I wonder what he meant by that…" Jun seemed to ignore Joes reassurance about Ken.

The Owl piped up. "That looks like an ordinary storm cloud to me Jun…"

"Well sis, maybe Galactor are up to something…big bros smart and I be he has discovered the secret base already!" The Swallow nudged his sister with some enthusiasm.

"I hope so…Joe look at this." Jun suddenly stood up and pointed to the view screen.

"I think that qualifies for a strange cloud, look at that colourful light."

"I guess so, well there is one way to find out." Joe opened the glass cover of the red button.

"Alright hold your horses Joe, I'll line up the God Phoenix." Ryu pulled the ship of it's current course and then lined it up directly with the cloud again.

"Take this sucker."…and then Joe pressed the red button several times…


	30. Gatchaman and Ken

Ken banged on the doorway that Katse had fled through cursing the door because he couldn't get it open.

"Katse you can't run _forever_!Aggghhh…" He pounded the door again and then he turned to look behind him just as _something_ hit the mecha and the impact caused him to be flung across the room, he came to screaming halt close to a wall that was shimmering to a milky transparency and he almost went into it.

Another closer explosion shook the ship like it was a world war two submarine that had a dozen depth charges dropped on it at close range.

Then the mecha began to fall apart, Ken ran out the open door of the bridge as fire swept through the hall behind and he looked for an escape as he used his wings to protect himself as a wall of fire came terrifyingly close to him before it was sucked away from him.

The floor cracked and he looked up at walls that were no longer there as he held on for a small moment to assess what was happening outside of the mecha, the rainbow coloured fan was still there but now it looked more like a ripple in the blue sky…then he spotted it…the God Phoenix in one of the ripples and it was headed straight for the mist that was left of the cloud.

He jumped towards the warship with giving it a second thought, the God Phoenix couldn't get tangled up in this he thought as he spread his mantle to catch the wind and he glided through the ripple.

888888

"Ryu!" Jun's voice had taken a new zest of life that hadn't been present in the days that Ken had been absent." Look its Ken…"

"Well I'm be damn it if it isn't." Joe chuckled with relief as he watched Ken fall from the sky, he was a distant dot as Ryu with having to be told headed towards him.

88888

"Die Gatchaman DIE!!!" Katse yelled with glee as he started up the engine of the escape pod that was shaped like a weird little storm cloud.

He chucked with utter glee that he was escaping while Gatchaman would die in the mecha.

"So what if I lost this time machine…" He sniffed as he left the mecha that was now fading away and falling apart." This tape has data from the computers that help me build-" his laughter suddenly stopped as he the tape was turning up blank data."What!!! This not possible…" He frantically tried to retrieve what wasn't there.

"Noooohhhhooo." He moaned as he slammed both fists on the control panel of the escape pod."Yaahhhou…gggrrr, well I'll show you Gatchaman…I bet I can make you believe you have gone into the future now…heeheehee all I have to is set it up, then you'll be begging me for mercy…" He snickered, he looked up as he dodged a missile and he found himself almost along side the God Phoenix… "Oh no not the Condor…I'm getting out of here before they see me…" The little cloud took off with a puff of smoke out the back, from what Katse could see they were preoccupied anyway…well he hoped so.

88888888

Ken was almost to the ground when he saw the God Phoenix again, it felt like a life time since his eyes had fallen on the red and blue warship and a flood of relief washed over him.

It was marred for a moment by the thought that he might have just ended up in a different future rather than the time he longed to return to.

So he stood there waiting for the ship to land, he looked up into the clear blue sky to see lightning bolts were still there, and then he saw her…Akiya the Firebird was flying very high in the blue sky.

A smile came to his lips as he watched his friend swirl in and out of the white clouds, her rainbow coloured feathers glimmered as her graceful form glided across the sky and bounced of the rays of sunlight that burst through the clouds.

He sent out a thought to let her know where he was, but she didn't respond which struck him as odd- she seemed to be focused on something else.

Then he saw a bolt of lightning strike her and he gasped as he watched helpless from the ground as she turned into a ball of flames she spread her wings and a passionate alien cry came from her lips that filled his mind and the sky, then he thought he saw something like a thin ray of coloured light and she disappeared.

"Akiya…" He tried to speak to her but she wasn't there in his thoughts, and he knew she was gone, his shoulders dropped in that moment as he suddenly felt lost without her in his thoughts.

"Goodbye Akiya." He said out loud in a sad tone as he torn his eyes from the spot in the sky that she vanished. The empty space in his thoughts that she once existed in grew and he filled it with grief, he knew he had to mend it, so he tried to, but he wasn't ready to let her go just yet.

He looked over in the distance of the desert plain he stood in and watched at the God Phoenix started to land, before it even touched the ground the Swan, Condor and Swallow were standing in the dome.

It opened and Jun leaped off first and she ran straight towards him.

"Ken," Her voice was filled with relief and excitement, she paused when she reached him and he could see the tears glistening in her green eyes that looked black through her tinted visor. "Aren't you happy to see us…" she paused as she spoke and looked away shyly.

He walked over and took the Swan in his arms and gave her a bear hug and he felt her body respond to the surprise of his rare showing of outward affection towards her.

"Well Ken what do you have to say for yourself…you're two days late for the mission." Joe drawled as he tried to hide his smile, when he finally let go of Jun Joe put a hand of comradeship on his shoulder. "Is it my turn to lecture you?"

"You bet Joe…" He looked past the Condor to see the Swallow and the Owl standing together. Tears stung his eyes at the thought of how empty the world would be without them.

"Ryu, Jinpei…" He walked over and clasped them on the shoulders, he was lost for words, but he wanted to tell them how much they meant to him.

"Big bro…did they _do _something to you, you're acting weird?" Jinpei looked up at him with a frown that turned to a cheeky grin. "Hey sis, I bet they gave him a _love _potion…"

"No, I just appreciate you guys even more than ever…" And then he hugged them both, tears stinging his eyes as he looked at the people who mattered the most in the world to him.

"Ken what's your problem?' Joe folded his arms and smirked at his friend. "I mean you vanish for two days and now you're hugging everyone, it's not like we're dying here…" And he turned too walked back to the ship.

"Where's the G-1?" Jun asked from behind him.

"I lost it along the way…"He stopped for a moment and looked at Joe," Did you fire a bird missile?"

"I fired a few birds into that cloud…just to make sure, I think I saw Katse's getaway cloud…but he moved too fast and it was either risk losing you again or…" The Condor sighed in frustration and kicked the ground.

Ken half smiled in his own frustration at Katse getting away. "What I want to know is how you guys fired a bird missile without the G-1 in the docking bay?" He looked at Jun and Joe who smiled at one another like they were sharing something. He didn't like that exchange between them.

"Jun rigged it two days ago while we out looking for Galactor and you…she thinks ahead and knew that we could be in big trouble if we ran into a mecha…"Joe gave Jun a broad grin, and she blushed.

"I'll explain more later…let's get back to Dr.Nambu." Ken said when he finally found his voice he had the sudden need to see him and talk about what had happened.

"You'd better, that cloud…we would have flown straight past it without a second thought if Dr.Nambu hadn't told us to look out for it…" Joe shook his head." What kind of strange…" Joe's voice trailed off as he looked at Ken for answer.

Jun he noticed hadn't left his side, and they walked back to the ship in a comfortable silence, she always knew when he needed space to think he noted.

And the trip back to the base wasn't much better for him- he was still coming to terms with everything that had happened to him.

"So how long was I gone for?" Ken asked Joe.

"Two days…that's the third time you've asked me that Ken." The Condor pointed out from his console, Jun just smiled at Ken with kind green eyes and then shyly bowed her head and she went back to so task she was doing.

He was still feeling like it had been months since had seen them and what should have been feeling normal wasn't. Ken closed his eyes for a moment and tried to reach out to Akiya but she wasn't there, was she dead? He wondered.

He got up from his console as he let out long breath and silently walked off the bridge into the medical bay.

He stood with his hands on the mental sink and then took off his gloves and helmet and splashed water on his face as he felt tears sting his eyes at the thought that he could have just watched Akiya die as she became a ball of fire and she looked spectacular and deadly in that moment before she completely vanished leaving a void in his mind.

He heard the door slide open and he looked up into the mirror at Jun who stepped into the small room with a concerned look on her face.

"Ken is everything alright…" She asked him as she put a white gloved hand on his shoulder.

"I…I'm…fine." He turned and looked into her eyes and he forced smile and then he picked up a hand towel and wiped his face.

His bracelet beeped it was Joe." We're landing if anyone is interested."

"Thanks Joe." Ken put down his arm as he looked at Jun and he was unsure of where to start with broaching the idea of something more than friendship with her.

What if she was now more interested in Joe, the thought crossed his mind and the image of the passing looks they gave each other when he met up with the team again began to form in his mind, she blushed when Joe complimented her abilities…

Stop it! He reprimanded himself as he tried hard to get those ideas out of his head, he looked back at Jun's pretty face- this was not that place in the future. He was back in the time he left from and then there was that note she left him…her voice brought him back.

"You look like you're in another place, what happened Ken…you can talk to me about it." She was searching his face as she spoke and he felt the light shake of the ship as they landed.

"I can't right now…maybe sometime when things settle down…" He was tongue tied, but he needed to know if there was something happening between her and Joe, if there was a spark there then he didn't want to interfere.

"Jun I have to talk to Dr.Nambu…but ahhh…later do you want to go for a walk or something." Ken chided himself that was lame.

"Sure…look Ryu got a call from his brother just as we left that his fathers sick, he going to get the train home later today…Jinpei, Joe, and me were going to see him off…"

"I'll come too…" He smiled a bit brighter as they left the ship he figured he'd have a chance after that to talk to her and find out of she wanted more of a relationship with him…

8888888

Ken had been Nambu's office for about three hours now, the team had left two and half hours before that. Joe gave him a steely grey stare as he left and he didn't look convinced that nothing much else happened in that cloud other than Ken getting caught inn there by the mecha for the last two days. Jun smiled and winked as she walked out and it didn't escape Jinpei's notice. Ryu left as fast as he could muttering about packing some things to take with him on the train ride home…..

"So that's how you ended up getting back to this current time…" Nambu asked him at last as Ken turned away from the window with his hands jammed into his jeans pockets.

"Did you retrieve any data from the computers, or any of that strange metal?" Dr.Nambu put his hands on his desk to get up and he walked over to Ken who could see his refection in the glass of the window.

"No, it seemed to go a milky transparency as the mecha fell apart…but then Akiya said that he had other metals in with it." Ken mused as he continued to look out the window.

"This Akiya…she gave you an object in the past…" Dr. Nambu questioned him as he turned to look at him again.

"Yes…Jun, she gave it to you?" Ken looked at him and waited.

"She did, that night after you left…she was shattered by your 'death.'but I guess it is her story to tell…I would like to keep the medallion for research…" Dr.Nambu searched his face for a moment with a dead pan extremely serious expression on his face." I know you want to pursue a relationship with her…I hope you will put your duty first Gatchaman."

"Dr.Nambu what am I fighting for…if I'm left with nothing at the end…" He made eye contact with Nambu and he didn't break it as he waited for his response."You know I'm dedicated, most people wouldn't understand why I am, but she does."

"I see…" Dr.Nambu drew a deep breath and he looked down at his feet and then back up at Ken with a very serious frown on his face.

"If you decided to get involved with her, I expect you put your duty first, both of you…so don't make wedding plans or allow it to get out of hand…just know that I really don't approve at all _Gatchaman._" Dr,Nambu was making a point and Ken knew it.

"I get it Doctor…" He still looked at Nambu." You know she died in_Gatchaman's _arms once…"He knew his stare was getting hard now as he made his point. _"Gatchaman_ respects the _Swan_ as a dedicated team mate…and the woman he loves…you see Ken Washio, well he loves Jun and it tore me in two and broke my heart as she bled to death like that and I could do nothing to save her, and I went looking to create hell for Galactor…I would have died anyway to bring down Katse and his cronies regardless…and we weren't even in a relationship."

Nambu's eyes changed as Ken spoke, and an unspoken agreement happened, both men never spoke a word on the topic again.

"What about Akiya…" Nambu broke the silence.

"I still don't know what happened to her…" Ken shook his head, he wanted…No he needed space to think it over, but he had promised Jun he would meet her and Jinpei at the station in an hour to see Ryu off.

"I have to go," Dr.Nambu told him in a way that told Ken the meeting was over.

Ken began to walk towards the door in silence.

"Ken…" Dr.Nambu called out to him.

"Yes Doctor?" He stopped and looked at him as he stood in the doorway.

"It's good to have you back." Nambu managed a smile and Ken acknowledged him and he left the room, he had to move fast now he didn't want to be late for Ryu's departure…


	31. Condor Joe

Ken stood there looking at beautiful rainbow fountain that was a popular spot for lovers in Utoland.

They had all chatted as they walked up there from the train station in the late afternoon as the sun set behind them, and he tried to walk beside Jun but Jinpei kept getting in between them, so his thoughts drifted away from the banter that was going on between the two of them.

Finally he managed to get beside her as they reached the fountain, but by this time his mind just wasn't there he was busy thinking about his conversation with Dr.Nambu. He didn't miss seeing the hurt expression on the doctor's face as he left the room or the words he muttered under his breath. "_If he starts an affair with her…no one had better find out…if Galactor get a hint…" _he closed his eyes at those words and they made him sick in the stomach. He knew what could happen. Ken still respected Dr.Nambu as his leader, and a man who had been his father since he was a boy and he also knew that he cared about what happened to each of them …but still…

Jun said something that brought him out of his deep thinking, and then Jinpei quickly followed.

"Aren't I getting in the way…big bro…? You're so _thick_ sometimes…" Jinpei was looking up at his face.

"Huh." Ken responded as Jinpei continued to stare at him and a quick glance at Jun told him he was messing it up, she wasn't looking happy.

"How about I take you to nice fancy restaurant, my treat!" He said without thinking _and _he said it to Jinpei instead of Jun, Damn! He thought as he walked away hoping Jun would follow him and Jinpei would decide to go somewhere else.

But Jun stayed at the fountain still looking at the water, and Jinpei looked like a kid that had just been let lose in a candy shop. "Big bro's paying then I'm coming too!"

"Jun are you coming…" Ken asked her hoping he just didn't blow it.

"Ahhh yeah sure…" she looked at him and smiled hesitantly.

Oh no! He thought, now he had to think of something else, this just wasn't working out right. Well dinner at a good fancy restaurant might just be the way in…they could sit and talk, maybe it would be a good starting point.

A few hours later they were sitting at the most expensive restaurant in Utoland thanks to Jinpei, that was right next to the airport, and it wasn't turning out the way Ken had wanted it to. Instead of him and Jun enjoying a relaxed meal together and allowing things progress naturally. Jinpei was interrupting all the time and bating Jun with his snide comments, Ken knew he couldn't talk about the things he wanted to with her if Jinpei was in hearing distance- all he'd do was tease her later on.

He decided he was about to say something to her, like give her a compliment, but Jinpei was still being his usual smart ass self, he smiled internally as he watched them- he knew he should not to take this banter for granted…

The lights suddenly went out and a plane crashed as it came onto the runway, he didn't have say anything as the three of them bolted from their seats and ran out to see what was happening, it had to be Galactor…

888888

It was much later that night when Ken finally arrived back to his shack.

He was over most of the initial shock that they could have died together that night in the incinerator, but while they were inside the space pod he held onto Jun and Jinpei, and his eyes met hers and he felt something pass between them, like an understanding he thought. Her lips trembled a little and if they weren't in so much danger…he would have kissed her, but they were on duty and he held back.

After Jinpei dropped him off because Jun had to get back to the Snack J saying something about checking her supplies and after the blackout.

Ken stood there looking at his shack, he knew he was back in his own plane of time now but he'd asked Jinpei to stop by a book shop that he knew opened late and he picked up some books on the Phoenix, or Hinotori as she was known in some cultures.

At first he just sat out the front of the shack with the small sensor light shedding a little light, rather than going inside and he began to flick through his books, it was interesting to see what the authors thought of this legend.

Some of the pictures didn't even look like Akiya …let alone what they thought the legendary bird that appeared at different times throughout history could do, Ken figured he could write his own book on the topic and make more than he could on his mail run…Maybe he could become an expert on Dinosaurs, after all he'd had first experience.

Ken sat there for ages in his favourite chair on the small porch before he got up and opened the door and look inside, everything was exactly how he had left it months before, or was it days before Ken was still getting time mixed up in his mind.

He switched on a light as he went to his fridge to get a drink- he stood there in the ambient light as he stared at the contents…

Beer was low, but then he didn't buy much, and he only had it in case Joe dropped in for a visit. After a few moments of consideration he took out a can of coke and opened it. The fizzy sound of the soft drink and the overly sweet taste as it touched his taste buds was refreshing.

He walked through the small living room into his bedroom, it was hard to believe the events that lead him here in a bleak future world really happened and he still had a flash back when he looked at his bed. He forced the image from his mind but it was a reminder that he had to do something about his relationship with Jun, and fast, he had to act on it.

He sat down on the edge of the bed and he took off his shirt and bracelet and placed them on his side table, without any thoughts going through his mind he fell asleep.

A few hours must have passed but Ken guessed it was just before dawn when he heard the civilian G-2 pull up in front of the shack.

He heard the car door open and footsteps in the gravel outside as Joe made his way to Ken's porch, then he heard the creak of a chair as Joe made himself comfortable.

Joe only did this when something was bothering him, and he'd just wait for Ken to get up …eventually he would, Ken hated being woken up. They didn't ever really talk about what was on Joes mind, mainly because he didn't really want to share his issues, but Ken guessed he just liked the company.

For Joe that sometimes was enough.

So after a while Ken finally got up, not bothering to put his shirt back on he ran his fingers through his messy dark brown locks, and he pulled out two beers from the fridge.

They rarely had any more than one because they could be called out at any point for a mission.

"Good Morning…the sun seems to be rising early today." Joe greeted him grimly and took the beer out of his hand.

"Looks that way." Ken responded casually as he looked at the soft light that was slowly spreading across the sky deep blue sky, and Ken went and sat in his chair using the railing as a foot rest, the cool morning air woke him up totally.

The sat in silence for while and he felt Joes gaze on him. "Remember the other day when I had to take the G-2 in for the engineers to have a look at it for some engine updates?"

"Yes…" Ken hide a smile, he knew what was coming.

"_Someone_ in that department had the _nerve_ to take my G-Machine out on a race track!" Joe was angry. "So I went down there to find the moron who had the guts to take it out without my permission…"

"Well what _happened_ did you catch up with that moron?" Ken could imagine what that confrontation would have been like.

"No." Joe stated he looked like he throwing mental shuriken at the culprit.

"Why don't you go down there again tomorrow…there's a new girl called Elisa working in that department. I hear she's into race cars…" Ken turned away he wanted to go with Joe, if anything just to meet Elisa in this time, the thing was he could imagine a fired up Condor walking into the office to shoot her down, and Elisa wouldn't care, she'd hold her ground with him.

Joe huffed as held onto his bottle like he was about to break it with his bare hands, but Ken figured since he gave him a name he would be down there later that day to 'give his opinion on why she should ask him first,' after a while he calmed down and he got to the other thing that was weighing on his mind.

"Ken…I've been thinking." Joe broke the silence, and Ken looked over at the face of the troubled Condor.

"What about Joe." He prompted.

"About my father…I keep wondering what he was like as a man and why he would do something like join Galactor, and then leave." Joe bowed his head in thought, and took a long last drink of his beer and put the empty bottle down beside his chair.

"Why do think he would?" Ken asked him knowing that Joe had thoughts on this and the face of Giuseppe Asakura came into his mind as he looked at Joe, they were so much alike.

"The thing is I don't, I was too young to remember much about it…or the assassin that killed them. But then we talked about my memories of that day not so long back." Joe was now lost in his own thoughts." I want to find that assassin and kill her- I hope she doesn't have a daughter." Joe looked up at him sharply with a frown.

Ken drew in a sharp breath at that statement and he wondered why Joe said it, it was brutal even for him and his need for revenge." What makes you say something like that Joe?"

"Because she'd be a Devilstar, a part of Galactor and then I'd have to kill her too…Hell I could have even been involved with her and not known…considering my dating record. I just need to get revenge for the death of my parents…I hate it, I really do. I hate to kill just for the sake of it, but I don't trust myself if I came across that assassin or someone related." Joe's voice was filled with bitterness and hatred of all things Galactor, but it was running deep. But then Joes face softened a little, unshed tears stood in the Condors eyes as he turned his head away to hide his feelings.

Ken looked at Joe and like it was instinct …he opened a part of mind and without knowing exactly how he did it he showed Joe his father, he let him hear his voice, he projected some his meeting with him into his brothers thoughts, blocking his own involved from the memory.

"_Because I was weak and I gave into the money they offered...but I didn't know them well enough, and now they tell me they want my son to train for them, that to try to leave is death..."_

_Joe's father's penetrating stare filled Joes mind and the love he had for his son and wife that reflected in those same grey eyes._

_"Is what you want for your son...?" The mysterious voice asked in a calm voice. "Do want him to be an assassin?"_

_"No!!" The Giuseppe spoke with determination. "But I have no choice...Galactor would kill them both if I try to leave…"_

_"No!!" The man spoke with determination. "But I have no choice...Galactor would kill them both if I try to leave." _

_The strange voice spoke again... "But you still can leave, you have a choice...I can help you." _

_"How?" Giuseppe looked the mystery man with a ray of hope._

_"I'll forgive the fact that you tried to kill me...I take it as a compliment, it means I'm getting closer to them." The shadowy man looked closely at the Giuseppe, he pulled out a business card and handed it him. "If you really want to get out...then contact me and I'll help your wife and son escape as well." _

_Giuseppe took the card and quickly put it into a pocket." I will, I don't want this life for George...my wife she cries all the time that he will die fighting the wrong cause one day if we stay, he's a good son and he tells me he wants a brother, but my wife doesn't want to try for another baby until we are safe from Galactor..." _

_He gave Ken a cocky smile that made him look like an older version of his son. "I could have killed you...I missed on purpose, but I wanted to make contact, but I needed to know if you were the right person who could help me." _

Then Ken closed the channel and he looked casually at Joe and took a sip of his almost empty beer.

Joe stood up going a white in the face and his hands were shaking as he stood up and he put them over his eyes, he looked like he was about to be sick.

Ken felt he had done the wrong thing in that instant, but there was no taking it back.

"I don't know _what_ it is with you Ken, but when _I'm_ around _you_ I get flash backs for memories I didn't even _know_ I had." Joe looked like he was trying get the cobwebs out of his head as he ran his fingers through his thick caramel brown hair. He was irritated as he walked inside the shack Ken heard him open his fridge curse about the lack of food Ken had in there and then he heard him open up a can of soft drink. Then he went to his cupboards and pulled out something from his medical box, or so he thought from the "were are the Damn headache pills." Curse from inside the kitchenette.

Ken guessed he must have given Joe a headache, Joe didn't look much better when he came back outside.

"Ken," Joe faltered as he spoke." I gotta go."

Joe dropped the empty can of coke on the porch and walked towards his vehicle, Ken wondered if he had done the right thing but he figured Joe needed to see it more than hear it.

He figured he'd talk to him soon about his trip back through time and confess that he had a new ability, but he didn't know much about it, or how to use it properly.

The problem was from that day on there was not time for him to catch up with Jun to follow up on what was happening between them.

Joe began to stuff up badly on missions that ran close together…falling out of the whirlwind pyramid twice, missing an easy target, not to mention his shakes. Ken had begun to wonder if that transference he did with him interfered with him some how.

By the time he was confronting him about it Ken was putting all of his focus into getting Joe to admit he had a problem.

Then Joe was unmasked, and they found out about Katse and Sosai X. The powerful shield he threw upon them felt familiar and his gut instinct told him that he was linked to Akiya, but how he wondered.

Ken feared for Joe's safety but he wasn't about to be wrapped up in cotton wool and he went in the race that Ken ordered him not to go in it, and he was captured but during that time Joe learned of the location of Galactor Headquarters and he went there on his own knowing he was dying.

Joe was captured again and when he was grounded by Dr.Nambu he took it upon himself to go alone to Galactor Headquarters.

Ken felt he should have picked up on his head injury, after all he got into his thoughts once and after Sosai X's painful mind wave he couldn't seem to access the ability Akiya had shown him.

It tore at his heart that he could have used it to give Joe strength at a time when he needed it the most.


	32. Swans cove

**Chapter 32-Swans Cove.**

S_ix months later after the end of the war…_

They were still grieving for the loss of a brother and friend and this time Ken didn't have a time machine so he could go and bring him back to life.

Tears stung Ken's eyes as he stood out the front of the trailer that no one had been inside of since Joe died.

He'd come to this spot a few times but he would just stand there and stare at the door waiting for him to come out, but to open it and find he wasn't there was just overwhelming and Ken had to face the truth, Joe wasn't coming back. He had confessed this to Jun just two days before and now he was standing there again.

He put a reluctant hand on the door as he heard the sound of a motor bike pulling up as his shaking hand touched the door of Joe's former home.

"You don't have to do this alone Ken." Jun said softly from behind him, he bowed his head, and she put her hands on his shoulders and he looked down into her loving sincere green eyes.

"I'm glad you're here." He said quietly as he encircled her in his arms, she felt warm and soft against him as he let the tears flow once more, this time he was here to try to put it behind him, so they could get on with their lives.

Around Jun when they were alone he could cry openly.

They held each other close after everyone left the 'burial' service that was held for Joe a few weeks after the celebrations for the end of war had finished. In the crowd of people that were showing their respects for the departed Condor stood Elisa looking drawn and tired like she hadn't slept in weeks, she just stood there like she was drained of all emotions and he knew exactly how she felt.

Ken took Jun's hand in his during that service, and the team closed in together stood towards the back of the crowd hidden amongst the mourner who never knew the Condor like they did.

Now he was still shedding tears into her black smooth hair, it happened at strange times usually if something reminded him of the loss of his brother. He avoided Utoland racing track some days and other days he hid himself in the stands waiting for the civilian G-2 to race into first place…Jun would often find him there on those days and silently holding hands and cuddling each other they would simply watch the races. When he was alone with her she just made it feel natural as she cried into his shoulder.

But then they had been a comfort to each other, spending every spare minute together.

It was hard for them all at first- they were trying to deal with Joe's loss and the decision to leave him behind.

But he kept showing up at the Snack J when he wasn't on mail runs, and he finally managed to ask her out on a date…

A relationship deeper than friendship was happening gradually between them and he liked it that way, it gave them a chance to know each other as more than just lovers. The touch of her hand in his as they walked along the street was like a bolt of electricity through his body, the warmth of her lips on his when he kissed her one night beside the rainbow fountain made him want more of her…

The look in her eyes told him she was his all he had to do was tell her he loved her.

He could have told her a dozen times he loved her instead he chose to show her intimacy that he hoped would let her know he respected her, he wasn't going to rush into his bed even though he dreamed of having her there with him every night, when the time was right it would happen naturally.

Jun put her hand on the key in the lock and turned it, Ken pulled the door open and together they went inside.

The first thing that struck was not the smell of Joe's aftershave or anything that reminded his of his lost brother it was the smell of rotten food.

Ken pulled a face at that smell, and Jun opened up windows and pulled out a garbage bag and she began to empty the small fridge along with the fruit basket, she took the bag outside as Ken walked to the back of the tidy trailer.

Joes racing magazines were piled up in a corner next to his bed- old white shirts with black grease streaks were folded in top of a bench, and neatly made bed with a plain cover still on it.

Joe led a Spartan life hardly any possessions- it was like he knew his life was only temporary.

Ken looked around again, what was missing was the man who once lived there, and Ken all of a sudden felt like an intruder in Joe's private space.

His eye caught a glimpse of a piece of paper that was lying on Joes bed it simply stated '_I love you, call me when you get back, we need to talk.'_ He wondered what girl had written that for him, as far as Ken knew Joe wasn't seeing anyone.

Jun looked at the piece of paper over his shoulder, and she raised a questioning eyebrow but she didn't comment, and Ken put the crumpled piece of paper back onto the bed as they closed all the windows again.

Jun and Ken left almost as quickly as they entered, it hurt too much to be inside Joe's trailer.

There was too much of the Condor in that small space for them both to handle.

Ken hooked the van up to tow bar of the car he hired to move the trailer to his shack- he figured he would store it there so no one could vandalize the memory of his brother.

Keeping the trailer close made him feel like Joe's spirit was still with them.

Jun followed along behind him back to the airfield he parked the trailer in the place he had chosen for it.

"Well what would like to do today…?" Jun asked him trying to brighten up a little as she looked at him with still sad eyes, and they began to walk towards the shack.

He contemplated the right words for a moment before saying. "Jun there is something I want to share with you today…" She looked sideways at him as they walked and she waited for him to continue so he just got straight to the point.

"Remember when I disappeared for two days in that storm cloud?" He said to her out of the blue and her eyes darkened momentarily.

"Yes." She replied more soberly. "Something was troubling you when we found you again but you never spoke about it…"

He acknowledged the truth in that. "I'd like to share with you some things that did happened while I was gone…you see that cloud was not a normal mecha." He looked into her confused green eyes as they stopped walking and faced each other.

Ken pulled out the now yellowed piece of paper he had put into his pocket that morning, he had planned to share some of his time travel story with her, and he wasn't sure if he could even at this point tell her everything that had happened.

She took the paper from his outstretched hand and slowly opened it, she read the note silently and looked at the shack and looked at him.

"This is not possible! It's my hand writing but…I never wrote anything like this in those two days…" She hesitated and read it again this time out loud.

Dear Ken,

It has been many months since you disappeared from out lives now. Everyone keeps telling me that I have to move on.

So I figured to sit here and write you a letter will help me do that. I don't know what to say really. I keep coming out here just in case you show up, it's not like you to just vanish on us like that, and Jinpei said it is not good for me to be here…

But I still feel that you are alive.

In the morning we will be boarding up the shack. But I decided to spend the night here, as I often have when I couldn't sleep. When I'm here I feel you are close, I can't explain the feeling that I have, but It's like you're still flying back from your last job in my dreams, and I only have them here.

I never got to tell you how I really felt about you, and now I will never get the chance so I guess it should remain unspoken between us like a closed book.

I love you Ken, and I miss you please come back to us…

Jun.

"You didn't but in a different future when I didn't come back you did…" He put his arms on her shoulders.

"I love you so much." His voice almost broke for the strong emotions her felt as he looked at her. "It took me to lose you to know how much." He took her hand in his and lightly touched her fingers to his lips. "How did you lose me?"

He drew a deep breath as he looked into her eyes. "Too someone else…"

This made her frown. "I think you need to explain what you're talking about Ken…" Her confusion was growing as he felt her fingers tremble.

He quickly went into the shack and grabbed a small cooler bag and beach towel and blanket he had prepared before he left to pick up Joes trailer, he'd planned to take her out that day to talk about his travel through time, when he emerged for the shack he took in the serious expression on her face, now was the time tell her some of it.

"Common, how about we take that motor bike we fixed up, you said it should get out more…" She agreed, and moments later they were on the road together Jun was sitting behind him holding onto his waist.

888888

A short while later he pulled up next to an old shack close to a familiar beach, he got off the bike with Jun following silently behind him, he could she was taking in her surroundings from habit.

Jun looked around the abandoned dusty beach shack." Well this is a romantic place for a picnic."

He grinned at her comment. "Yeah I thought so too." He joked More seriously he added. "We used this place as a hide out…" He told her as he pushed the hidden coded buttons and the door that lead down into the hideout opened, ambient light came up through the door as the automatic lights began to come on below them.

They walked down the stairs into the main room that was now empty of the furniture from the Snack J and there were no computer terminals along the walls.

Ken stood in the middle of the room wondering where to begin…

"It feels so sterile in here…" Her voice echoed in the empty room as she walked around and he could tell the questions that were building up in her from the expression on her face. "We lived here…Jinpei would have liked the beach."

That made him flinch how could he tell her he was dead in that future place.

So Ken began to tell her about the first time he was caught the cloud and how he ended up fours years in the future, she almost giggled with amusement when he told her that he found them working in a night club and she was a pole dancer, and a stripper. "Now that must have been a shock for you…me a pole dance and stripping off."

"You were a hot looking pole dancer Jun…seeing you in those skimpy costumes…" Ken felt the heat rising to his face just as he thought of some of the moves she made on that stage.

"Joe was a bouncer…I bet he was popular with all the girls…He was a handsome man." She said still smiling at some image she must have had in her mind, he drew in a deep breath, but he said nothing, he decided to take her for a tour of the facility as he talked a bit more about that bleak world, but he left out the part that she was in a relationship with Joe.

"Ken why have you taken so long to talk about this." She stood in the doorway of the lab her eyes searching his face.

"Jun, I don't know I guess it was hard enough for me the believe it all really happened and when I got back it felt like more like a long dream instead something real." He said hoping against hope she wouldn't ask to many more questions as he already skirted around a few that he knew were to close to things he still wasn't ready to share with her.

"So who was the guy that you said you lost me too…?" She asked with cheeky smile.

That was one of the questions he really didn't want to answer." Joe…"

"Joe!" She looked at him in surprise." Well, well…" She studied his face for a moment, "It hurt you didn't it…"

Ken fought his emotions but only nodded to as a response, she studied his face and then she dropped the topic. "Tell me something you learned about me that no one else would know…" Jun took his hand in hers.

"You like to read books, just not the soppy ones Jinpei does, and sometimes on a hot summers night you like to go swimming totally naked at the beach alone…We swam together at the beach you saw one night as we rode in."

"You did get to know me…very well." She sighed happily. "We went swimming together…naked, and I was in a relationship with Joe…why would we do that?" Her lips tilted up suggestively as she continued." What happened…did we enjoy it, a lot?"

"Nothing happened…I totally respected you're body and your wishes, even when you were naked in front of me and all I wanted to do was make love to you…you weren't mine Jun and Joe was my brother, I wouldn't betray him like that." He looked directly in her eyes as said it and he could see the blush rising to her face.

"Why would I-"She started to question, and then she stopped and flicked her hand as if to she was getting rid of the thought, so she changed her tune. "Well then it's not fair, you have seen me naked in a different time, but in this time frame Ken I have _never _seen you even _without_ your shirt on." She took a fist full of his shirt in her hand and indicated that she wanted to have a look at what was underneath it.

She suddenly pulled his shirt up over his head moved away from him as she dangled it like bate just out of his reach he smiled mischievously at her as he attempted to get it from her grasp. She took off up the stairs and out of the hut with him hot on her heals laughing as he ran down the path following her that lead to the beach.

It was just after they reached the white sandy beach that he caught up with her and wrestled her to the ground.

Panting from the fight he pinned her arms to the sand and he pulled up her shirt as she giggled, then he felt her take a deep breath as he ran his hands over her soft smooth ivory skin.

The moment changed from being light fun to something else as he kissed her lips and then he pulled her shirt up more and pulled up her bra and took a nipple into his lips. He shifted his body weight as she moaned from his touch, and he began to caress her more undoing the belt of her jeans and sliding his fingers just in the top of her panties.

He looked up into her eyes as they mirrored his own- she wanted him as much as he wanted her, this way.

"Have you…made love to anyone before?" He asked softly looking up at her, he watched as the rise and fall of her chest as she closed her eyes for a moment.

"No…not even this close." She admitted.

He moved up on her body until he was directly on top of her.

"You mean…never." He questioned her again.

"Ken I waited for you…" She said almost breathless, as she ran her fingernails down his bare back, sending pleasant shivers up his spine, he could feel the strong chemistry that was between them as their bare skin touched.

"But I thought…well you dated other men before the war…"He was surprised that no man came close.

"Yes… but I never slept with any man I dated, it just didn't feel right…your face kept getting in the way…" She searched his eyes, and then she bit her bottom lip before she responded.

"I love you Ken…when you finally said those words to me back at the shack…I knew then that I didn't really need to hear what I already knew." He placed his arms on either side of her head as he looked at her black hair spilled out around her in the contrasting white sand.

The sound of children playing caught the attention of them both, and it brought them back to reality, they were not on this beach alone.

"Well, I know a very private beach- we can explore this more if you want to…don't feel pressured if you say your not ready at any point-"She smiled and kissed him as he spoke.

"Let's have a look at this beach." She told him as he rolled off her and pulled on his shirt…

88888888

It was late in the afternoon when they arrived at the cliff top- Ken looked down below at the small beach.

"I'm getting hungry…" Jun told him as she picked up the cooler bag of the rack on the back of the motor bike and the two towels.

He pulled out a small pocket torch. "This is for later, I don't want us stumbling on this path in the dark, it's very steep in parts, he took her hand in his lead the way down the steep pathway to the hidden beach.

It took them almost twenty minutes to reach the beach and the first thing they did was run onto the sand.

"I'll get some wood for a small fire later on." Ken told her as he headed towards the rocks, sure enough the stash of wood that had hidden under some rocks was still there.

"Sure," she called out to him as she took off her shoes and rolled up her pants, spread out the blanket and opened up the cooler bag, she started looking through the contents.

She offered him a sandwich when he eventually sat down next to her.

"So what do you think…"He asked as she looked around the private little beach.

"I love it, does it have a name…" She gave him a sly smile and waited. "How many girls have you brought here?"

"Swans cove is the name of this beach, the only girl I have even brought here is sitting right next me…"He smiled warmly and put his arm around her.

Jun looked away for a moment and he could tell something was on her mind.

"What's wrong Jun…" He tried to get her to look at him. "Look nothing has to happen between us tonight, I don't want you to feel that kind of pressure…lets not rush this."

"Have you been with a woman before?" She asked so quietly he almost didn't hear the question.

He paused for a moment, before answering. "Yes…Jun look at me." He said as he gently took her chin in his hand and turned her eyes towards him." There is one thing you should know."

"What's that?" She asked looking nervous.

"I've never been in love before, and I love you…" He got a smile from her as he looked into her lovely green eyes and he couldn't even remember the faces of the other women he been with, her eyes brightened when he smiled and he lightly kissed her lips as the sun set over the water.

To him she was perfect in every way.

"It looks like we both have a first time for something in this relationship then." She said as she brightened up more. "Well that water looks inviting, how about we get naked and wet." She invited with an outstretched hand as he got the small fire going close by where they had set up.

"I won't look if you want to go first…" He offered as he turned away.

"No, I want you to help me…" She purred in his ear, it was an offer he couldn't refuse and turned around to face her.

So garment by garment their clothes came off as they help each other undress, and they both did a dash for the water…

For a almost an hour after sunset and the moon was rising higher into the sky they swam together in the waves, this time he didn't have to worry about not touching her as they explored each other with their eyes and hands as he pulled her in close to kiss her, the feeling of her luscious curves against his hard body was turning him on, and he could tell she was feeling his arousal against her.

She took a deep breath as she ran her fingers through his wet hair as they watched the next wave come in.

"You're so beautiful…"He told her as held her close.

She looked towards the shore and indicated that they head back in- Ken followed her lead like a lost puppy that had just found its new owner, he was so taken by her beauty as the water glistened on her ivory skin in the soft full moon.

Without even thinking they fell together on the blanket next to the small fire that warmed their wet bodies and he began by kissing her salty wet lips, and then he worked his way down her body, Ken found himself enjoying her surprised gasps as he found her stimulation spots on her body. He started to pleasure her womanly folds with the tip of his tongue he looked up to make eye contact with her, she moaned loudly and opened her legs wider tell him she was enjoying his touch…

After a few moments he felt her arch her back as she cried out from the sensations she was feeling for the first time and it pleased him that he could give that to her…she was relaxing totally and he knew it would more enjoyable for her.

He eventually worked his way back along her body and he stopped and looked into her darkened green eyes, they mirrored his own lust as she looked down at his arousal with widened eyes.

"Can I…?" She said with slight hesitation." It's so big." She gasped, and he liked the compliment, her fingers almost brushed his shaft in hesitation.

"Do to me what ever you wish…I'm your's Jun, and I want this to be the best night of your life." He told her as took her hand and she wrapped her fingers around it.

She began to massage it in her hand and he wondered if she knew how much pleasure it was giving as he laid back and allowed her to explore his body at her own leisure, her wet hair touching his skin as she explored him.

As he felt her moist lips as she began to use the blade of her tongue to do long strokes and if he wasn't before, he was rock hard now, he cried out her name and fought to hold back the orgasm that threatened to burst forth from her touch.

She looked up at him breathless and he sat up enough to kiss her deeply as she laid back down again and parted her legs as he shifted on top of her, she put his shaft in just in the right spot but he resisted the urge to thrust as he looked into her ecstasy filled eyes as she waited for him.

"I'm a beginner…' She said breathless.

"You are amazing…" He said between breaths, god he wanted to be inside her so badly and he felt the throbbing of his shaft.

"This might hurt," he whispered concerned filled him as he keep eyes contact with her.

"I'm ready…please I want you inside me so much." She almost begged breathless as she wrapped her legs around him.

"I'll be gentle, if you want me to stop at-"But he was silenced be her fingers on his lips as she tilted her hips to let him slide into her, there was a little resistance as he felt her virginity give way to his gentle thrust, and saw a tear fall down her cheek and he almost stopped again because he didn't want to see her in pain to satisfy his needs, but she pulled him further inside with her hands on his buttocks.

Then she cried out as her body shuddered beneath him and the throbbing of her orgasm made him explode…

A while later they lay there holding each other still naked in the soft light of the small fire that was now burning down to embers, Jun had fallen asleep in his arms and as he watched her laying there peacefully, he knew there wasn't a place in the world he would rather be…

But the world was about to change again and Galactor wasn't done with the Science Ninja team yet…or their lust to Conquer the world…


	33. The golden medallion

_Four years later, _

_Just above the Earth in a satellite, the Science Ninja Team are in their final fight against Galactors Evil Sosai Z._

Kens memories were coming back to him in droves as he fought against the sudden pull of gravity that seemed to be draining his body of all life…

Jun…he looked over at her still body not far from Joes, and he winced at the thought they were all about to die and Sosai Z was about to win if he didn't do something, someone was reaching into his memories again, Sosai Z was wanting something from him but he couldn't tell what it was.

The memory of what happened 12 months into his relationship with Jun just before the second war began came flashing back into his memory.

"_Ken you need to tell me something and I want the truth…when you travelled forwards in time did you travel back in time too?" Jun asked him._

"_What makes you ask me that?" Ken said as casually as he could._

"_Because you have always been familiar to me…I just couldn't place it." She looked doubtful, but he knew he had to tell her the truth._

"_You knew me as Kisho…" He told her quietly. "You were once known as Jasmin Aichi."_

"_Then you know about her…" Jun had tears in her eyes…"I saw a file at the ISO on the Devilstar assassins last week, they were tracking down the last of them…Heather killed lots of people." Jun looked so distressed at finding this information, and Ken couldn't help thinking that Jun secretly looked for information on her, and he didn't want her to suffer from something she had no control over._

"_Then you know she killed the Asakura family…" He told her, and as soon as he said it he knew she didn't as Jun paled and her eyes went wide in shock._

"_Ken…or Kisho should I call you now?" She stood there looking at him with hurt filled eyes in that past memory._

"_Why did you have to tell me that about my mother…Just knowing that it was you all those years ago made me so happy if only for a moment." She flinched when he went to touch her and tears ran down her face._

"_Poor Joe…How could I even begin to imagine..." She mourned as she got onto her motor bike to leave he tried to stop her. _

"_Jun the last thing I wanted to do was hurt you." He pleaded, but Jun wasn't listening to him as she started her motor bike." I held back all this time because it is the last thing I ever wanted to do…Don't you see you're nothing like her." _

"_Ken I knew you held something back about that trip through time, the woman that sired me assassinate Joes parents…her ghost seems to still haunt me." She said bitterly as she gunned the engine to drown him out._

_He ran and got on his motor bike and went after her he was letting Jun go that easily but it was no use she locked him out of her bedroom telling him to go away, at that moment his bracelet began to beep, the war had started again, and Galactor had sunk the Queen Margaret…_

_Joe came back to them not long after that and Jun seemed to want to spend more time with him…He got jealous and very hurt and he began to ignore her totally because losing her was to much for him to bare…_

Ken looked over at Count Egobossler who was pinned to wall with his own sword, dark red blood dripped onto the floor. He figured that if he was to die now than at least he knew that scum was dying along with the rest of them.

Sosai Z pushed at his mind held fire walls harder, "Give it to me. "He demanded in a grating voice."Those who you love will die if you don't surrender to my will Gatchaman, they hang on only by a thread now…she gave you the information that I want…I know it."

He was dying anyway from the hypershoot illness, so what did it matter now…he looked at his four other team mates…they mattered. and another flashback entered his mind.

They were standing on a grass hill not far from the new mountain base.

"_Ken why are trying to so hard to kill Count Egobossler…" Jun asked one day when they were talking again outside of duty, at least they had become friends again._

"_Because…" He looked at her and paused for a moment,"Jun do you still hate me?" He asked her, he'd been so empty inside since that day she drew away from him and then he withdrew from her._

"_I…I was hurting Ken…you were closest to me so I took it out on you." She took a deep breath and sat down on the grass and pulled her knees up under her chin, he sat down beside her._

"_Jun, I never thought differently if you because of what she did…I should never have put that burden on you like that, I was wrong to tell you in that way." He tried to look into her eyes, he craved to have her back in his arms again, Joe told him he wasn't in a relationship with her._

"_I told Joe about my mother." She hesitated. "I could never hate you, you save my life when I was a child, I know you so well…"_

"_Joe had changed Ken, and I needed to know why." She looked up as she spoke." He told me not bear the burden of her sins…I thought he would hate me for what she did." Jun confessed a he put an arm around her shoulders._

"_He came back a changed man searching for his humanity- you helped him find it Jun."Ken said as her head dropped onto his shoulder. "I'm not complete with you Jun. "_

"_I missed talking to you so much Ken, I missed us and how we were before the war began again…I thought you would be ashamed to be with me…that's why you ignored me, but then I realized you were hurting and you withdraw from everyone when you hurt that much."_

"_I missed you too Jun, I missed every moment I didn't have you with me…can we try again?" He asked as she looked up at him and smiled through teary green eyes._

"_Ken I want to, this time we'll talk through our problems and pain, rather than trying to hurt each other and push each other away." She said with hope, and he found her lips and kissed her…_

"_I'm sneaking into you quarters tonight…" He whispered into her ear._

"_Promise me you will.."She grinned knowing they were going to make up totally later…_

_How could he tell Jun that his main drive to kill Egobossler and stop him from being able to ever get close to her was why he really lost it a few times during his sword fights with him. _

_When he did try she told him to stop making excuses for using the hypershoot, she could take care of herself if she was captured by Galactor... _

Now the whole world truly felt like it was ending as Ken lay there on the ground of the satellite in the last battle against Sosai Z.

Would they all explode in this satellite like Pandora did almost a year ago in a rocket because she discovered the truth about her daughter?

He could still remember the warm feelings that flooded him when he discovered she was Dr.Nambu's new assistant. It was sad to hear that little Sammie died on the cruise ship, but what tore at his heart more was the pain of discovering she had been made into Gel Sadra a slave to Sosai. And he had to end her life, the pain of it sicked him as he thought of pretty blond innocent child….

His life was still flashing before his eyes as the pressure of the alien who was taking over the subconscious minds of all the Science Ninja Team was slowly beating down his walls of resistance.

He stared at the golden medallion that was in his hands in frustration, if only he knew its secrets.

Dr.Nambu had given it back to him just before his death shaking his head and later in private he told Ken he felt it was no more than an ancient solid gold medallion that might have belonged to a King…

Think damn it think! He cried out in his mind as he looked over at Jun laying lifeless on the floor and daggers went through his heart at the thought he could lose her again to this alien that was mocking them as he edged into Kens protective walls that were now paper thin.

"_Protect them Ken the Eagle you know how to…use my medallion._" Akiya's familiar voice filled his mind, and he struggle like his head was being pulled by gravity in the opposite direction from where he wanted to look.

"_Akiya._" He sang out to her, and relief filled him momentarily as he saw the giant coloured Phoenix land in front of the giant blue statue than shimmered and vanished to reveal the true Sosai Z who was a Firebird.

"Xeng." She hissed as her wings unfolded as the energy whirled around them like a tornado.

"Akiya my love…I have become stronger…you will never be able to defeat me." He shouted in an evil hissing tone.

Then she was joined by another Firebird who was as big as Xeng.

"_Somue._" Xeng sneered. "You are _dead…_I killed you myself."

"You are the one who is _dead _Xeng…you're more vulnerable than you think." Somue sheered back at his enemy.

Xeng taunted them more, but they both ignored Xeng as they engaged him in battle.

Akiya forced him to obey her commands. "Protect them…_now _Ken the Eagle…_unlock_ your mind, I have already told you how to use my gift." Akiya demanded that he obey her." She did something in his thoughts that told him Sosai Zed had put a block there on the powers she had opened in his mind years before.

Ken reached out his thoughts like she showed him how to do in that far away place, Xeng seemed no longer interested in them as he battled fire and mind powers with the his own race.

Suddenly it clicked in Ken's mind, then the key turned and the door he need to get into in his mind opened… the power was unleashed and he understood it at last.

The medallion started to glow in his hands, as he took control of it the glow became brighter and the cool white light began to take shape around him and then it shot to engulf each member of the Science Ninja team.

For an instant he could see into their minds, each had their own private dreams of a future, and now he could teach them the power that Akiya had given him long ago.

Then it was gone, they put walls up and he realized he told them to do it, and they were flying through space as the satellite exploded.

The journey back to Earth for all of them was amazing- it was like they were travelling in a transparent ship that was encased in fire like the old God Phoenix of the first war.

Ken saw a glimpse of the planes in time as they flew across the Earth and with a touch of his thoughts on the fluidly beautiful ship they were flying in they flew into a brighter future.

They talked and the other asked him questions in their awe and he tried to answer them as they flew as he looked at their faces he noticed none of them opened their mouths to speak- he had unlocked the secret of communicating without speech as they made the ship do a loop around the Earth before bringing it back to the airfield his airfield to land.

Joe was the first on to speak out loud as the ship glistened around them and then vanished, Ken was still holding the medallion as it sparkled for a moment and then went back to the normal lustre of gold that it had always been.

"What exactly _happened_ Ken?" He asked four the fourth time as he walked over to stand beside him.

"We had help from an old friend." A deliriously happy grin came to his face for the first time in a long time, joy filled him like it never had before, he was free now…" It's over…Sosai Z will never be coming back…"

"What do you mean it's over?" Jun asked him with a confused expression crossing her delicate features. "You keep saying that all the way back…"

"How do you know for sure?" Joe quizzed him as Ken started to laugh with the joy that was filling him.

"I just know…didn't you see it?" He looked up at the sky as the light began to fade from the destruction of the satellite in outer space. "Thank you!"

He dropped the medallion from his hands as he turned to Jun and took her into his arms and he tried to kiss her as their helmets crashed together.

"Damn." He said with annoyance that his helmet was getting in the way of his goal as he pulled it off his head and he took her helmet off too as fast as he could.

Jun was giggling the whole the time at how he was behaving.

"That's_better,_ now where was I up to…" And he weaved his hands through her hair as he kissed her he drank in her sweet soft lips as if it was the first time he had kissed her and he pulled her body as close as he could as her back arched from the force of his embrace he couldn't stop kissing her as his passion grew for her so much that Joe was even finding someplace else to look.

"You're a _stones_ throw away from the shack Ken….maybe we should leave you two alone for a while." Joe smirked as Ken and Jun finally came up for air.

"I didn't know sis had it in her…" Jinpei elbowed Ryu like they were sharing a joke and the Owl just stood there staring at the love birds.

He was breathless and so was Jun as he gazed into her green eyes that mirrored his own desires." Marry Jun…please…I want you to be Mrs Washio." He almost begged as he was trying to catch his breath.

She looked at for a moment with her mouth dropping open in surprise as he waited for her answer.

"Ken…did I hear you right, you want me to marry you." She whispered.

"You don't have to answer me now- I know it's a bit rushed, I should have been more romantic about it." So he got down on one knee and took her hand in his and he looked up into her eyes, really he wanted her to say yes right there and then.

"Of course I'll marry you..." And her lips covered his as he struggled to his feet so they could resumed their passionate kiss.

She stopped for a moment and looked at him and said. "Mrs Jun Washio." She said dreamily. "That's the perfect last name for me…"

The next thing they knew they were surrounded by their other three team-mates who took them both in a group hug.

"Congratulations… and about time." The other three told them.

"We did it…" Joe said at last. "I'm going to see Elisa as soon as I can and we are going racing together." Joe grinned. "Wild and free…I bet she's packing her bags already...If she'll have me."

"I bet she's just waiting for the opportunity…I don't know why you two argue like cats and dogs whenever you're down seeing about your car in engineering." Jun informed him.

"That's part of the chemistry." Joe drawled." She doesn't want commitment and neither do I, but maybe we might buy a bigger trailer together…just to make touring race tracks easier."

Ryu was now grinning like the cat that just got the Canary." I'm going back to Mariner…now I can make a real business out of fishing…" Ryu said casually and he looked at Jinpei.

"It just feels too good to be true and so sudden…" Jinpei said looking confused." What do they call a person who studies bugs…"

Jinpei's jaw dropped as he looked up into the night sky as two giant birds soured above them and landed not far from where they were standing.

"I guess it would be…very sudden to realize you are so free to live the life you want." Akiya said into all of their thoughts, her form began to shimmer and in the place of the beautiful Firebird stood a very elegant stunning woman with long golden red hair that almost touched the ground her skin looked like mother of pearl in the moonlight as her figure hugging gown whirled around her bare feet as she walked towards them.

The other Firebird shimmered and a timeless handsome man with pearl like white skin and blue black long hair that fell down his back in a ponytail, his almond shaped aqua blue eyes softened as he look at Akiya, she turned to face him and gave him a warm loving smile as he extended her elegant hand to him.

"Akiya darling you can be impatient sometimes…" He frowned a little but it didn't last as his face broke into a smile.

"I know…" She purred as they approached them.

"Akiya you always go for the grand entrance." Ken said as she continued to walk towards them with Somue holding her hand.

"You know each other?" Jun asked, then something dawned on her face as she stared at the beautiful woman.

"Jun…" Akiya greeted her like she was a long lost sister and she embraced her.

"All those years ago…' Jun said in wonder.

"Yes…now you understand…he is a good match for you Congratulations." Akiya winked at Ken.

"We are getting married…very soon." He told her taking a glowing Swan into his arms again.

"Tell me how did you do it?" He asked looking at Somue.

Somue put his arm around his mate. "She mastered travelling through time, she saved me but she still wasn't strong enough to defeat Xeng on her own. He destroyed the nest on his anger…" Akiya's face went sober, and Somue kissed her hair to comfort her as he drew her closer.

"Akiya…we can start again…" Somue said softly.

"Yes I know…something's even time travel cannot change." Her voice was filled with sorrow of the loss they had suffered.

"Will you introduce us?" Akiya broke for her sad thoughts and stepped forward spreading out her arms as if she was addressing an audience, Ken guessed it was a form of formal greeting for Somue did the same.

"These are my team mates and family…" Ken looked at them all."Jun, my fiancée." Jun blushed happily at those words. "We'll go shopping for a ring tomorrow." He promised her.

"Condor Joe…Ryu the Owl…and Jinpei the mighty Swallow," They clasped the hands of the Firebirds.

Ken opened his mind to Akiya, and he found Jun, Joe, Ryu and Jinpei doing the same, they all began to talk through thoughts like it was the most natural thing to do.

"I took care of any Galactor goons that ended up in the wrong plane of time." Akiya smiled.

"Good," Joe responded." So we don't have to worry about a clean up job."

"Ken the Eagle, I detected something was attacking your body…It will start to reverse now." She casually informed him.

"How?" He asked in amazement.

"Your mind is powerful, your body just needed to know how to repair itself, you must have felt the change when you left the satellite." Akiya said.

He did, that was why he felt so alive…he could feel the worry life from Jun's mind as she heard this.

Ken looked up at the cool clear night, the stars looked like sparkling diamonds in the black velvet curtain of night.

Akiya looked at Somue…"It is time for us to go." She sighed.

"Yes darling it is." He turned and walked away from them, she followed him as she looked back and a small smile spread across her lips.

Ken stepped forward he did have one more thing he wanted to know. "What was Xeng really after from you, he tried to sap my mind for whatever he thought you hid you there?"

Akiya smiled brightly."Xeng always thought Somue wanted me for my abilities, but he was always stronger than me…he never took the time to figure things out. He just wanted knowledge Ken the Eagle…"

"That's all…'Ken said almost disappointed. "The Medallion?"

Ken mused for a moment on it all, and then he replied. "When Lightening strikes it can be a very powerful thing…knowledge and understanding of what was cloudy in your mind and heart before."

This made Akiya smile at all of them. "Then medallion contains a powerful kind of metal, the same the storm mecha had in it...Alderunime." She looked deeply into his eyes. "Knowledge is a very powerful tool…and I would say Lightening can have more than one meaning depending on your out look…it can strike you at any time and often twice, but how we use it makes us what we are." She looked like a proud teacher as she stood there looking directly at Ken. "We will be in touch…we have found a cave in deep in the Himalayan mountains…promise us you will visit we have much to talk about it seems." Her eyes met his and he knew they had a new member to their close knit family.

Jun responded joyfully." Try and stop us…please come to the wedding." She pleaded as Akiya and Somue changed form.

"We wouldn't miss it…" Akiya told her as the two Giant Phoenix lifted high into the night sky and headed in the direction of the Himalaya's.

"You know I still have questions…She is such a mystery I mean what was that answer…" Joe said shaking his head along with the confused questioning looks from the Swallow and the Owl.

"I don't know, but you know I don't think I need to know _all _of the answers." Ken looked at them. "Sometimes you just have to accept that." His smile grew bigger. "But I do have a story to tell the rest of you, and it's a long one."

Joe just shrugged his shoulders. "I can live with not knowing everything…So, do we contact base…just to let them know we're back?"

"Why don't we all go inside the shack for a drink and I'll call them on the phone…I'll tell them that the Science Ninja Team are retiring from service." Ken took Jun's hand in his as the all walked towards the shack.

"Sis, I want to stay close to you…" Jinpei suddenly looked lost.

"Jin don't worry…We were never just a team, we're a family." Ken said as he looked at the Swallow, Ryu, Joe and Jun.

"That's right…" Joe said looking at the kid.

"Family…" Ryu nodded smiling.

"Time is passing fast…It'll be dawn soon so let's celebrate our future." Ken said happily, and he followed by a cheer from all of them.

They had much to celebrate that night, life was just beginning for each of them, Ken looked at the beautiful woman he loved walking beside him, and he stole a glance at his family…there was no place in the world or time he would rather be than now.

"I love you Jun…the day I realized it…Lightening struck me…" He told her as he pulled her close.

"Me too…" She replied. "I love you Ken now and forever."

He smiled as the warmth of her love filled him and he knew time would take of itself as long as he had Jun in his life…


End file.
